Two of a Kind
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: Morrel is a Bant battlemage living in the shadow of his brother without any chance of proving himself... until he meets a troubled Kamigawa Planeswalker and offers to help her erase a demon of her past.
1. Chapter 1

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 1**

A light wind picked up, carrying the scent of foul invaders. 18-year-old Morrel lifted his head and sniffed the air, and it was undeniable: another Grixis ogre squad was somewhere nearby, just as he suspected. He walked across the grass alongside his Rhox monk friend Yerkel, whose small, beady eyes were fixed on the forested hills up ahead. Morrel nervously ran a hand through his ear-length blond hair, then fiddled with his glasses, which never seemed to rest straight on his face. _Here we go. All right, Morrel, don't let Yerkel leave you in the dust this time! I have earned a Sigil before for my bravery against the invaders. I can't act like a rookie forever._

As though reading Morrel's mind, Yerkel chuckled, a deep grating sound in his leathery neck. "Be calm, Morrel. You have earned that Sigil for good reason. Ever since the dragons and demons and other beasts started invading Bant, we have proven ourselves well before the King. We are warriors of Akrasa. Walk with pride."

"Yeah, like the Grixis vermin care how we look," Morrel joked, but Yerkel had a point. Mere weeks had passed since Bant suddenly collided with four other lands, but already, creatures ranging from bow-slinging elves to short "goblin" creatures to nightmarish undead beasts had invaded Bant and begun a conquest. Strangely, though, the beings of these other worlds seemed only too happy to fight each other, with enormous jungle beasts stomping all over undead monsters, only to be beheaded by a primordial dragon swooping by. This chaotic war demanded an immediate military response from all Bant kingdoms, and the Akrasan Kingdom was only too happy to lead the charge. Noble knights, aven squadrons, Rhox monks, and others took up arms, swore to defend the glory and honor of the Kingdoms and the angels, and then marched to confront the evils from beyond. Their lives were for Bant, and Bant was there for them.

And then there was Morrel and Yerkel, running around catching stray Grixis or Jund marauder squads.

"We're still inexperienced, Morrel. That's why King Ledram has assigned us to such a role," Yerkel offered after a few minutes of Morrel's sullen silence. "We're young and only recently earned Sigils. Besides, the King needs specialized agents like us, those who stand out from the ranks and file squires and foot soldiers. It's an honor! Come on."

"Yeah, I guess," Morrel grumbled, but his young Rhox friend's words evoked mixed feelings in him. As a battlemage of Akrasa, Morrel boasted a wide knowledge of protective and manipulative spells, along with a limited knowledge of healing. Still, his greatest pride was his hand-to-hand ability. Everyone in Bant trained in melee combat from an early age, but Morrel took it more seriously than most. Flexing a fist, he looked down at his battlemage robes, cut short to better fit his melee style. _The thing is, I still can't get my style to work! Man, these ogres had better provide good training. I can sense them nearby, but they don't detect Yerkel or I. Shouldn't be too bad._

"These ogres may provide a good chance to practice your... unusual fighting style," Yerkel spoke up as he and Morrel reached the base of the tree-dotted hills. The pristine lakes and grasslands of Akrasa were behind them, as was the castle. "Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Morrel jumped. "Man, how do you _do_ that?"

"Do what?" Yerkel picked at a spot on his right hand to distract himself.

"It's like you read my mind, always saying what I'm thinking."

"Well," Yerkel huffed with what passed for a grin on his rhino face, "That's just 'cause I know you that well, Morrel." The following thump on the back nearly staggered the human battlemage, and Yerkel helped his friend get back to his feet.

The ogres were now in sight, the marauders hunting for fresh meat to tear apart and devour. Morrel crept through the trees with Yerkel at his side, the Rhox moving more fluidly and silently than one would expect. Morrel's booted feet gently navigated the woods, not snapping a twig as he went. The ogres up ahead wandered past a well, the smelly Grixis creatures grunting and glancing at it, disappointed that it didn't do anything. A nearby abandoned scout tower stood silent, its golden stone surface reflecting the bright sun overhead.

Morrel squinted at the ogres. The brawny, misshapen beasts ambled along, their clawed hands clutching spiked clubs and crude swords of varying sizes. They looked hungry, since their eyes kept glancing this way and that for prey, their long canines dripping saliva. Disgusted, Morrel reached into his white battlemage cloak and gripped the handle of a throwing knife, eager to rid his homeland of the foul invaders. He had smelled them from a way off, and now was the time to do something about it... as soon as Yerkel was ready.

"Ready?" Morrel whispered to his Rhox friend as the ogres ambled by, but Yerkel didn't say a word. Instead, he knelt and pressed both hands together and bowed his head, eyes closed. "Angels above and kings below, give me the strength to rid my land of those unworthy, and bring honor to my home and my people. Grace me with your strength so I may see another day in your service."

Morrel had grown a little tired of praying to the angels before fighting such pea-brained outlander foes as the Grixis ogres and Jund berserkers, but there was no helping it. He too recited the prayer and then he and Yerkel locked gazes and nodded their readiness.

Deciding to start at a distance, Morrel stood upright and tossed his cloak back, revealing the many throwing knives held in there. He grasped one in each hand, focusing on possible trajectories to the ogres. He was tempted to infuse his knives with magic, but he didn't want to strain himself early in the battle, and he sometimes struggled with magic-infused knife throwing anyway. So, he took a step forward and drew back his left arm, then grunted as he threw the silvery knife, the blade flashing through the air.

The knife whooshed past the lead ogre, almost grazing its nose. Then, the knife burrowed halfway into the ground past the ogre, and the sudden movement alerted the whole group of the ambush.

"Crap! Missed!" Morrel berated himself.

"Worry not! We still have an advantage over them!" Yerkel rebuked as the ogres bellowed in hunger and scrambled for the hills to climb up and tear apart the Bant defenders. Shaking his head, Morrel let Yerkel leap into action, then darted to the side and raised his right knife for throwing. One of the ogres, carrying a spiked club, roared and approached him, so Morrel smirked at the beast and twirled around, to use his momentum and speed up his right knife. With a flash of silver, the knife pierced the ogre's right shoulder, a blow that cut muscle and disabled the right arm. Morrel halted himself, admiring his handiwork, until the ogre huffed and took up the club in its left arm, waving the weapon with a snarl.

"What? You're ambidextrous?" Morrel yelped as the ogre pounced, club descending for the kill. Morrel saw the club descend, then he flicked his cloak back and crouched, breathing deep as he bunched up his leg muscles for action. His glasses slid uncomfortably down his nose, but he tried to ignore that as the club came closer, every instant feeling like forever. Then, snapping into motion at the right time, Morrel pushed off to the side, and in the same movement, stood upright next to the ogre, his arms sliding onto its tough club arm. With a sudden lurch and channeling of strength, Morrel lifted the ogre off its feet, diverting its attack momentum to its own body.

_How's that? Use your own energy against you! _Morrel grinned as he flung the ogre and forced it into an awkward forward somersault, a move that would normally smash its head into the ground. Instead, Morrel flipped through the air, positioning himself under the ogre as it moved through the air. His booted foot shot up, catching the beast on its chin, jerking its head upwards with a nasty crunch. Morrel thought the beast was finished, but it had some fight left in it. Morrel had left himself open by adding his own attack to the defensive move, and the ogre's spiked club came back faster than the Bant battlemage expected. Hot pain burst on Morrel's left haunch as the spiked gouged him, and Morrel shouted and felt hot blood ooze onto his clothing, forcing him to his knees. The ogre collapsed in a heap on the ground, unable to press the attack.

"Morrel!" Yerkel shouted in concern, seeing his friend's plight. He was surrounded by two ogres, but he ducked under the blade of one of them, then he crouched and spun in place, his thick hoof sweeping the other ogre off its feet. Then, he bolted forward and slammed an open palm onto the ogre's face, the incredible power shuddering the air. The ogre's face was crushed and split into organic shreds, the defeated beast falling to the ground and tumbling down the hillside.

"I'm fine! And not bad, by the way!" Morrel shouted back, clutching a hand to his throbbing wound. Gritting his teeth, Morrel jumped and did a long back flip through the air, trying not to aggravate his wound as he went. He landed by his ogre foe, which was trying to get back up. Morrel channeled his inner mana into his left hand, then imitated Yerkel's finishing move by slamming his left palm onto the ogre's head with great force, smashing the beast's head off entirely. Best to behead the invaders to make sure they don't rise again.

Morrel stood, gasping for breath as sweat soaked into his clothing. He hurriedly adjusted his glasses again, cursing their refusal to sit properly on his face. Shifting his feet into a balanced posture, Morrel kept his eyes on the few remaining ogres. However, the Grixis invaders had another surprise up their sleeve.

"Maybe it's time I try this," a disembodied voice sneered, and the air shimmered as a cloaked being warped into view. Morrel gasped: the gaunt human man wore thick, spiky black armor that sent chills down Morrel's spine, and the cackling man gave an aura of terrorizing, deathly magic. No doubt he was a battlemage of Grixis, Morrel figured. Leaping back into action, Morrel swept his hands into his cloak and flung one knife after another at the battlemage, hoping to take the man's heart out. The first knife sliced into the man's chest, making him howl and fall to his knees, clutching at the wound and leaning on his staff for support. Encouraged, Morrel took a step closer and flung another knife, but the blade was intercepted by something unseen between Morrel and the mage. The Grixis battlemage grimaced as he extended his hand, blue magic at work while he removed the knife with his other hand. Then, the air shimmered and the Grixis mage unveiled a new ogre that had been concealed.

"Very nice, boy. I didn't think you'd force me to use my trump card," the battlemage growled. "I'm no ordinary battlemage. My ogres will tear you apart! Ogres! Get them!"

The new ogre gave Morrel a bad feeling. Rather than the mud-colored brutes around it, this thing gave off an air of brutal efficiency and prowess. Its skin was absent, its hard muscles and bones visible. Eternal flames raged inside its gut and jetted out from short tubes on the monster's back, and its entire head glowed with flames, its eyes bright. In addition to its long, burly arms, a third arm extended from the beast's left shoulder, giving it three arms total for combat superiority. The ogre growled a deep warning and flexed its three hands, black claws clacking together.

Yerkel sensed the danger, too. Though he had taken a hit from an ogre blade, he avoided an attack and smashed the head of another ogre with his strong hands. He charged after the fire ogre, but the new beast didn't wait for him to arrive.

The Fire-Field Ogre bellowed and charged right at Morrel, legs pumping to propel it swiftly across the grass. Tensing for combat, Morrel waited only a second before he took up his last two knives and hurled them at the approaching ogre. The beast snapped its jaws and, without even slowing down, whipped its claws through the air and knocked the knives aside, metal clanging on talon. Morrel used the knives only as a ruse, though: he pumped himself with a lightness spell, and then vaulted far overhead, soaring over the startled ogre's head and descended for a high-power blow.

"Not so fast," the Grixis mage retorted, raising his hands. He flung a crackling red-purple spell at Morrel, and the evil magic washed over him, making his body suddenly feel heavy and awkward. _No! What did that Grixis mage do? _Unable to coordinate himself, Morrel clumsily fell to the earth, trying to land next to the ogre instead of on top of it. He landed and tumbled away from the beast, but its three arms flashed through the air, talons getting close to Morrel's flesh. Its claws tore into his clothing and cloak with loud rips, the beast's claws moving at lightning speed.

Yerkel huffed with fatigue, but he wasn't about to give up. He grabbed one of the Fire-Field Ogre's fingers and snapped it, letting the creature howl before kicking it away. The other, ordinary ogre came up from behind, so Yerkel slammed his elbow into its face, demolishing it and sending the ogre flying. Seeing Morrel in danger, Yerkel hurried forth, eyes alert.

"Whew. Cover me, will you?" Morrel gritted, staggering to his feet just as the Fire-Field Ogre charged again. This time, Morrel breathed deep and forced himself to be calm as his wound throbbed, reading into the ogre's attack pattern as the beast started swinging. Morrel twisted, ducked, and side-stepped as the ogre's three sets of claws slashed through the air, but it took all of Morrel's speed and nerves to evade the rapid attacks. The ogre's upper left arm slashed through the air, trying to take off Morrel's head. Morrel saw the attack coming and, slipping away from a different arm's attack, seized the upper left arm and forced the whole ogre forward, shifting its attack range away from Morrel. Then, Morrel jumped into the air again, using his momentum to wrench the ogre's upper left arm at a strange angle, and the loud crack of bones reported his success.

The ogre howled and flailed, angered by its injury. Its fist swung at Morrel harder than he could handle, and Morrel could only raise his crossed arms to block, his bones shuddering from the ogre's punch. He flew backwards, sprawling across the grass once again. Yerkel was just in time, though, to kick the ogre in the haunch, making it stumble and occupying its attention.

"You three have angered me enough! Use maximum power!" the Grixis mage barked at his ogre servant. The ogre snapped its jaws and opened its mouth wide just as the Grixis mage used his red-purple spell again, making Morrel and Yerkel fall to their feet from sudden new weight. Morrel couldn't dodge as the ogre issued a stream of hot fire right at him, so he resorted to a different tactic.

Morrel raised his hands before him. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!" Just in time, a shining blue-gold barrier flared to life, the round magical shield hovering right in front of Morrel. The ogre's fire collided with it, washing over the barrier and causing it to strain and spit sparks. Morrel held his hands steady to maintain the barrier, and though the effort tired his arms, the fires faded away and the shield shone bright. Morrel dispelled the shield, quickly giving himself a mind heal spell for his left haunch's wound before dashing away to retrieve his thrown knives.

"Your shield has improved!" Yerkel noticed as he and the ogre exchanged fierce blows.

"Yeah, thanks," Morrel gritted as he seized a knife and heaved it out of the ground. He scurried over to another knife embedded in the dirt, hurriedly brushing off the dirt and grass on the sharp silver blade. One of the minor ogres was still alive, and it crept closer to Yerkel, who was exchanging fierce blows with the Fire-Field Ogre. In response, Morrel hefted his knives and took careful aim, then with two tosses, he planted the knives in the ogre's neck, slashing right through its spine and windpipe. The ogre, caught by surprise, slumped to the ground, inert.

Yerkel only spared an instant to take note of the lesser ogre's death. The Fire-Field Ogre's attacks were relentless, even with only two good arms left. Morrel hurried to join his friend, but the Grixis mage weaved another spell and once again had both Morrel and Yerkel immobilized by deathly stun magic. The Fire-Field Ogre pounced on Morrel, jaws and claws outstretched for the kill. Feeling hot blood pumping in his ears, Morrel raised his arms to defend himself, but the ogre bashed aside his defenses and raked Morrel's already-injured haunch, aggravating the wound and making Morrel cry out in pain.

The ogre's claws descended for the killing blow, but with a surge of adrenaline and mana, Morrel fought through the Grixis mage's spell and tumbled to the side, producing one last knife: not a throwing type, but a simple dagger. Calling upon fire magic that he had gleaned from the otherworldly mages, Morrel threw the dagger at maximum strength, and infused it with explosive fire power as it went. The Grixis mage, taken aback, shouted as the knife pierced his heart and exploded in fierce flames, blasting his body into cinders. The ogre hesitated, whipping around to see the source of the commotion.

"Raaaaaah!" Yerkel came up from behind the Fire-Field Ogre and seized the Grixis monster's head, wrenching it at a sharp angle. With a crack, the ogre's head was nearly broken off, dark blood oozing from its torn flesh. With a final gurgle, the ogre collapsed, its hideous body sprawling.

Heaving a weary sigh, Morrel sat on the grass, wincing and clapping a hand to his bleeding wound. Yerkel knelt by him, checking it too.

"Here. Just a little something until I can get you back," the Rhox promised, and he placed a gray hand over Morrel's wound, green-white magic glowing to life. Morrel felt the pain melt away as Yerkel's healing spell soothed the flesh, enough to let Morrel walk back to safe territory. Morrel had refused a mount for this trip, preferring to walk beside his friend. _Maybe I'll get a Leotau next time!_

*o*o*o*o*

"Relax, Morrel. It really isn't that bad," Yerkel admonished Morrel an hour later, as he went to collect bandages in a drawer in his small marble monastery. Morrel sat on the Rhox's wide bed, stripped to the waist for treatment. Inside the one-room building were few furnishing except a bed, a desk, and a cabinet for scrolls and medical supplies, and Yerkel was the only occupant of this tiny monastery/house. Morrel looked down at his ghastly, recently-disinfected wound and gulped. "You consider this minor?"

Yerkel collected a role of white bandages, his own minor wounds already tended to. "Sure. I've seen much worse since this war with the other worlds started. The monsters from beyond are powerful and relentless, and they don't observe our honor or discipline. A nasty business."

"You know 'cause you're training to be a big-time medic, right?" Morrel grinned.

Yerkel unwound some bandages from the roll, blinking in the golden sunlight that poured through the glass-less windows. "You don't have to put it so casually, but yes. It's how I plan to make a difference to defend Akrasa and indeed, all of Bant. But I won't forget my role as a fighter either, nor will I forget you, Morrel. We're two of a kind, you and I."

What passed for a grin crossed the Rhox's face, and Morrel mirrored it until Yerkel started wrapping the bandages, the pressure on the wound making Morrel gasp. Morrel tried to relax, cursing his sensitive skin. "Thanks, Yerkel, but you're way ahead of me."

"Oh, yeah?" Yerkel focused on tending his friend, but his ears perked up all the same.

"I don't have much to offer besides some punching and kicking, you know. I became a battlemage 'cause I'm clumsy with weapons and not that great a healer or scholar."

Yerkel's eyes were stern as he looked up, pausing the bandage-wrapping. "Not this again, Morrel. Don't underrate yourself."

"Even with Raphael around, showing off?" Morrel retorted bracingly, and Yerkel relented at the mention of Morrel's prodigious elder brother. Yerkel resumed his bandaging. "Come on, Morrel. I can't know what it's like to always live in someone's shadow, but caving in is certainly not the way to go about it. King Ledram needs you as much as he needs anyone else. You and I are young. Our time will come."

"I... guess," Morrel admitted. "Still, Raphael's only five years older than me, but is one of the King's top agents! Few battlemages have ever equaled him."

"Have you considered taking your Journey of Souls early?" Yerkel offered.

Morrel twitched at the mention of that tradition. At the age of 21, any Bant warrior or mage wanting to prove him or herself worthy of the King would go on a long trek, helping those in need and gaining much knowledge and power to serve the Kingdom. Raphael had taken his at age 14, one of many ways he proved himself an exceptional battlemage. Morrel had been formulating plans for his, but to take it early like his brother had? "I see. Well, we _do _live in dire times. This could be a chance to prove myself."

Yerkel's face mirrored Morrel's sudden excited grin as he finished the bandaging. "That's the spirit, Morrel. Listen, why don't you ask King Ledram about it when you're ready?"

Morrel gingerly got to his feet, testing his freshly-bandaged wound. It was still sore, but didn't hurt as much. He twisted on his torso, testing his limits. "Sure thing. I'll give a few days for this to heal over, and I'll inquire about it."

*o*o*o*o*

The sun sank low on the horizon, casting its orange-red light across Bant's war-torn surface. Aven lazily glided on the air currents, clutching their spears tight as they warily scanned the land for intruders with their sharp eyesight. Morrel, meanwhile, had taken a Leotau-driven carriage to one of the towns near the Akrasa Castle, one of his favorite haunts with many clubs, dueling rings, taverns, and comfortable lodgings. Morrel had more than a few friends here, and the outdoor bars offered great places to glean information from traders and paladins and squires who were resting from a hard day's fighting. One open-aired bar was Morrel's favorite, and that's where he went. On the inside roof was the severed arm of a Grixis monster, a trophy mounted for display.

"It seems like the best we can do is slow the monsters down. They're coming closer to our borders all the time," one paladin grumbled as he drank from his mug, his face hardening in displeasure.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry. This is our chance to earn more than a few new Sigils, after all. We have the angels' blessing in this war. No undead creep from that death-land can take us down," his friend encouraged him.

Morrel set down his drink, ears perking. "Is there more trouble on the border with the zombies?"

"Yes, Morrel. Much trouble," the paladin answered irritably, a white scar on his forehead proving his worth. He knew Morrel because he knew Raphael. Everyone knew Raphael. "How have _your_ duties been?"

"Oh, patrolling, taking down Grixis and Jund infiltration squads. They sure can get far into our territory, slipping though the chaos," Morrel shrugged. "Not much else."

"Well, there is more. It's _her_," the paladin growled. "She's been seen around her, the specter-girl."

Morrel blinked. According to rumor, there were some people who wielded the power to walk from one land to another in a short amount of time. Not from Akrasa to Eos to Valeron, but entirely different worlds, different planes of existence. Recently, a girl in tattered black clothing started to crop up in Akrasa and the other Kingdoms, evading others but causing much trouble everywhere she went, often stealing and plundering. It was suspected that she was a plane-walker or Planeswalker, and that she could be anywhere, doing anything, and could strike at any moment. Or so others led Morrel to believe. She had been sighted in other towns nearby, but Morrel doubted he'd ever see her. _Better to focus on my Journey of Souls, _Morrel figured, taking another chug of his drink. He tried to glean more useful news from the others in the bar and the streets, but didn't meet with much success. As it got late, he figured he'd get back to the castle and hit the hay. Leaving several coins for the bartender, Morrel stepped away from the open-air bar and onto the cobble-stone street.

A sudden roar made him and everyone else freeze.

"Yeeeee-ho!" someone roared, and civilians shrieked and fled as something huge crashed into the bar Morrel had just left, the creature smashing the wooden building into splinters and glass shards that flew everywhere. Panicking, Morrel dived for cover behind a cart, peeking over the edge. A gigantic, purple-gray beetle climbed over the ruined bar, the insect at least three stories high and its armored legs and body easily crushing buildings underfoot. A shaman rode atop the beetle's back, bearing fierce war paint and gripping leather harnesses that connected to the huge beetle's mouth. At his shout, dozens of barbarian warriors swarmed around the buildings, raising clubs, axes, and brandishing fire-magic, spreading chaos and destruction everywhere.

_Not again! _Morrel thought bracingly. _That giant insect, those brute warriors... a raiding party from Jund! They must be looking for easy prey. I've got to get away!_

A stray fire bolt from a Jund mage blasted Morrel's cart apart, however, forcing him to tumble away and into the open. Warriors took up their swords and shields to repel the Jund invaders, but the giant beetle screeched and ambled into the street, sweeping its pincers in wide arcs and sending people flying. The insect bellowed and opened its mandibles, a jet of flame issuing from the insect's mouth. No doubt Jund mages had enchanted it for increased battle strength, and Morrel stared in horror as the whole town was set ablaze by the insect while the Jund warriors ransacked the place. Noble Akrasan warriors crossed blades with the Jund invaders, slewing many of them until getting overwhelmed. Morrel counted more than thirty of the Jund warriors, as opposed to only a handful of the Akrasan defenders, and there was still that beetle to consider.

"Hang on!" Morrel shouted to a frightened woman and her children, ushering them away. He turned back around to see a Jund Warrior with an elaborate headdress and loincloth lung at him, battle-ax raised for the kill. The warrior was fast, but Morrel snapped into a combat posture, watching the barbarian's movements and figuring out the best angle to counter. With a shout, the barbarian's swung his ax down, and Morrel fluidly slipped past the attack and ran his hands along the ax's length, wrenching it out of the barbarian's hands with the same movement. The barbarian, caught by surprise, was sent reeling by a head-bash with the ax's shaft, and Morrel twirled the weapon in his hands, trying to decide if he wanted to use it.

_Nah. Too blunt. _Morrel tossed the ax aside, but there was no more time to waste. The beetle went on a rampage, smashing into buildings and erupting fire on anyone who came close, friend or foe. Morrel found himself surrounded by three Jund warriors, forcing him to block the nearest warrior's blows and counter with his own attacks, but his combined defensive-offensive strategy fared poorly against numerous enemies. A barbarian's ax slammed Morrel's knee, driving him to the ground. Before he had his head taken off, though, Morrel dived out of the way, his aching leg and haunch slowing him down a little. Reaching into his cloak for his knives, Morrel heaved two knives at the warriors as they tried to attack again. He always carried his knives with him, just in case, and now he was quite grateful for his habit. One hastily-thrown knife missed, but the other cut into a warrior's neck, toppling the warrior with blood gushing form his neck.

"Come on!" Morrel challenged them, choosing to abandon his defensive style for now. He met the warriors' challenge head-on, scrambling to his feet and exchanging hand-to-hand blows. One warrior tried to swing an uppercut, so Morrel deflected with his left and countered with a right hook, knocking his enemy's head aside. Morrel spun in a kick, taking down that warrior with a foot to his chest and then slugged the other warrior's gut with a hard punch. Both men went down, but the beetle was now coming Morrel's way, and more Jund warriors closed in from both sides of the street, blocking off Morrel's exits. The beetle tossed back its head and roared, flames flowing from its mouth.

"Oh, this isn't good," Morrel muttered to himself, fixing his skewed glasses to a better position while he tried to contemplate a way out of this. He got out two throwing knives and set himself in a posture with a low center of gravity, but he realized that a number of civilians were trapped here too, frightened and helpless.

"Okay, who wants to die first?" an important-looking Jund warrior asked gleefully, stepping from the ranks of his fellows to torment the cowering civilians. Morrel wanted to help, but he'd be overwhelmed. Better to wait for reinforcements, but how long would that take? Morrel winced as a farmer was impaled by the chief's dagger, and then the chief seized two women by their dresses. One of them had a hood, concealing her face. "Maybe these wenches can come with me to provide some entertainment! I think we all have deserved it, huh?" the chief declared, and his warriors shouted their approval, waving their weapons. Morrel couldn't stand the sight, but he had to wait.

"Oh, never mind. Burn down the town! Drag along any women you want!" the chief declared, then tried to drag the two women with him. One was a young brunette who only cried for help, but the other one seized the chief's arm with her left arm, apparently with a strong grip. The Jund war chief looked started, unable to get from the woman's grip. "Hey! What are you -"

He was cut off when the woman's right arm suddenly changed. The Jund warriors looked on, then scattered with alarm as one of the woman threw back her hood and her arm outstretched rapidly, growing in size and length. Her right hand and arm expanded to become gigantic and black with curving white talons, enough to scoop up multiple people at once. The arm was long and thick as well to accommodate the hand.

With a cry and a toss of long black hair, the young woman raised her giant right hand and swept away the Jund chief like a rag doll, throwing him into a flaming building with a crash. Morrel stared in amazement as the young woman shouted and pounced on the other Jund warriors, swinging her giant right hand with her claws out stretched. The talons raked the Jund warriors, hacking them into pieces as the woman nimbly leaped about, evading return fire. The huge black hand deflected any attack that came close, then smashed away the attacking warriors.

Morrel gaped, his knives feeling heavy in his hands. _Who the... who is she? How can she take on all those Jund warriors? _Then, the woman took down a few more Jund warriors and ran to the giant beetle, vaulting high into the air to take off the insect's head. The beetle rumbled and raised a scythe-like front leg, clashing heavily with the woman's giant black hand, claw and chitinous scythe struggling in midair. The woman gripped the beetle's limb tight, talons digging into the armor and tearing the beetle's limb off with a gush of blood. Morrel found himself cheering at the her victory, but she was unprepared for the beetle's other scythe-leg slashing through the air, smashing the woman out of the sky and sending her tumbling to the stone street, coming to a halt near Morrel.

The beetle wasn't done yet. Lurching forward on its remaining limbs, the monster roared and spread its mandibles apart, gushing a stream of hot fire at its injured prey. Reciting the incantation for the Hindering Light shield, Morrel crouched by the injured young woman, raising his gold-blue shield just in time. The insect's fire washed over the shield and was diverted to the sides, unable to get close. The fires abated and Morrel lowered the shield, trying to help the woman to his or her feet. "Hey. Can you get up? Come on..."

The person was rather light and was face-down, but as Morrel lifted the person upwards, he beheld that it was a girl around his age, her long black hair askew and her eyes closed. _She was knocked out! _Morrel shook her, noting how her giant right hand didn't feel heavy at all as he tried to lift her to her feet. "Wake up! We're still in danger!"

The girl moaned, then snapped open her somewhat narrow eyes, which gleamed a hard light upon seeing Morrel's concerned face in hers. She pushed him away with her normal left hand, standing to her feet and backing away from him. "I don't need your help!" she demanded., raising her huge right hand again. "Get away before you're hurt!"

"But I -" Morrel started, before the giant beetle attacked again, slashing its remaining scythe-arm at the girl from behind. Without hesitation, Morrel flung his two knives at the beetle's limb, clapping his hands together as he channeled fire magic into them. The knives pinged off the beetle's hard carapace, but the explosions knocked the limb aside. In response, the beetle lurched forward again and leaned forward for a high-speed headbutt, its hard round head coming close very fast. Morrel didn't have time to dodge, but the girl was there to help, her giant right hand seizing the insect's head and holding it at bay, much to the beetle rider's anger. "What the hell! Don't freeze up, you worm, or you're dead meat!" the girl roared, twisting her head back to yell at Morrel. He felt himself bristle, then walked forward. "That's some way to thank me for helping you earlier!"

The girl narrowed her eyes, then turned back to the beetle as it struggled against the girl's huge strength. With a shout, she clutched her giant hand tight, her fingers and white talons squishing the beetle's head into pulp. With a last screech, the beetle collapsed heavily to the street, its huge weight shuddering the ground. With a cry of alarm, the rider and surviving warriors fled, not wanting to clash with the battlemage and girl who took down so many warriors and the beetle. They scampered out of town just as emergency forces arrived, water-wielding mages who doused the buildings' flames.

Morrel shakily fell to one knee, his body weary and sweaty. He looked up at the girl as she shrank her right arm and hand back to normal. "Thanks for helping me back there. You've got quite some power! Wait..."

Recognition sparked in Morrel's mind as he gawked at the girl, remembering the wanted posters. _Could she be the renegade plane-walker everyone's talking about? No way! _He didn't have any more time to think, though. She pursed her lips and seized his clothing, holding him tight as she leaped into a back alley where there was no flame and no one could see. She pressed him against the wall of a tavern, face-to-face with a startled Morrel. "You may have saved my life, but if you don't help me get away, I'll have to kill you!" she threatened him.

Morrel gulped as he tried to think of a good answer. _Oh, man. Today just keeps getting more and more exciting!_

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Plains (Michael Komark), Bant Battlemage, Rhox War Monk, Grixis Sojourners, Grixis Battlemage, Fire-Field Ogre, Hindering Light, Giant Ambush Beetle, Rip-Clan Crasher**

**A/N: **It feels good to be writing Magic: the Gathering fanfiction again! Magic Chronicles was finished not that long ago, but writing about Magic is great fun for me, and this story is all planned out and will be a great yarn. I've noticed that many Magic fighters use spells or summons or weapons, but not a not of melee combat. I plan to change that, and make good old fist fighting an integral part of this story, though that other stuff will still be here in spades!


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 2**

"Hey... that's no way to talk to the guy who saved your butt!" Morrel said defensively at the girl's sharp demands. Some of the fires set by the Jund attack were still burning, but they didn't compare to the fierce gleam in the girl's narrow eyes. Morrel was suddenly aware of his haunch aching from fighting the ogres earlier, and his whole body felt sore and dirty from the most recent battle. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Saved me? No. I had to rescue your sorry hide from those creatures. Don't flatter yourself," the girl snapped, jostling Morrel by his shirt collar. "Are you going to find me a safe place or not?"

Morrel huffed, his normally durable patience worn thin by this girl's hostility. He squinted past the muck specks on his glasses lenses. "Look, you. We both had a hard time back there and we have no need to argue. Fine, I'll show you to safety, but I deserve something in return. I want answers."

The girl hesitated, weighing his words with pursed lips. "All right. Get moving." She let him go, taking a step back.

Morrel cautiously slunk toward the other end of the alley to leave the town, but memories of the girl's expert movements in the battle discouraged him from trying anything rash right now. _She moves better than I do. I've got to watch this one, _he admitted to himself, eyes on the girl as he led her down the alley, far from prying eyes. The both of them emerged onto the evening sun-lit grassy Akrasan plains, with only a few clouds and patrolling aven pike masters far overhead for company. Fiddling with his white cloak until it was more comfortable, Morrel strode across the open plains toward a Rhox monastery, one that had been abandoned some years before by the death of its owners. A garden in serious disrepair surrounded the stone building.

"In here." Morrel led the girl inside, grateful that the furniture was still here. He pulled up a stool and sat with his arms folded as the girl sat on another stool. Morrel watched her the whole time, noting her tattered clothes, bare feet, and ever-alert eyes. Tapping a foot nervously on the floor, Morrel spoke up, "All right, this place is good for a while. Now..." he leaned forward, hoping that his attempted tough-guy act impressed the girl into listening to him. "What's going on here? Are you the scoundrel who's been spotted around here recently? Are you one of those 'Planeswalkers' I've heard about? What's your name? Are you native to Bant, or one of the other shards, maybe?"

The girl made a face. "I thought you wanted a civilized discussion, not an excuse to blabber endless questions." She tossed a lock of her slightly tangled black hair, eyes flashing. "I don't want to admit it, but you helped me out back there, and you're not half bad. Fine. My name is Mizuki. I -"

"Mizuki? I've never heard a name like that one," Morrel was suddenly intrigued. "Where -"

"Do you want your answers or not?" Mizuki snapped back. "What's your problem?"

"N-nothing, nothing," Morrel gestured with his hands, feeling self-conscious. "Go ahead."

Mizuki shook her head. "I, well... yeah. I'm one of those Planeswalkers." She glanced away from Morrel. "Been Planeswalking since I was about eight, and I'm 17 now. I come from a land called Kamigawa. A land of the kami."

Morrel squinted, scratching his sweat-dampened blond hair. "Kami?" _Whoa, she really is a Planeswalker!__ I wonder what her homeland, this Kamigawa, is like. Must be amazing!_

"The spiritual gods, the natural beings of my land. They are well in tune with the natural world," Mizuki elaborated. "And they and the mortal races are in a terrible war because... well, I don't give a damn why. All I know is, one of those horrible kami took everything from me. _Everything_."

Tears suddenly welled in Mizuki's eyes and she looked down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Morrel hurried to console her, leaping to his feet. _Crap, this getting awkward. _Before Morrel could do anything, Mizuki muttered, "Sit down. It's not your fault."

Morrel sat back down, suddenly feeling the stifling silence of the room. The fierce scuffle in the town suddenly seemed distant and trivial. _I wonder if I should just go. _He stood again to leave, but Mizuki wiped her eyes, motioning. "Look, this happened years ago, and it's not your fault," she told him earnestly. "I... I'm sorry if I've been rude to you. It's just that I don't trust any folks anymore. Not after I got the curse and suffered for my trust in others."

"What do you mean?" Morrel suddenly felt compelled.

Mizuki sat up straight. "I've been alone for years, after a powerful kami and its minions assaulted my village back on Kamigawa and leveled it, slaughtering everyone before my eyes. But instead of fleeing, I approached the creature, begging it to bring my parents back to life because unlike the samurai warriors of the village, they were innocent and didn't deserve to die so soon. The kami offered me the power and understood my plight, or so I thought. As soon as that thing touched me... it tried to conquer me, soak me in monstrous power and make me its vassal with its magic possessing me."

"Your right arm. Is that the kami thing's power?" Morrel asked, eyes wide. Suddenly it made more sense how this girl had a huge, supernatural limb. Mizuki nodded and extended her right arm, manifesting it to the great, black-skinned limb that Morrel had seen earlier. The enormous hand curled into a fist, the thick fingers careful to avoid the curved white talons. Mizuki unclenched her fist and returned her arm to normal again.

"The kami's power overwhelmed my mind and body, but it turned out that I had a surprise of my own," Mizuki said with a slight grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Just when I thought I was lost, the incredible strain awoke something deep inside me, and the next thing I knew, I was in a faraway land with no kami in sight. I was alone in a forest, and my right arm and hand were monstrous. It was raining, and I threw back my head and cried out long and hard from all of what had happened to me."

Morrel slumped, realizing just what a Pandora's box he had opened. _Okay, so I've got a god-cursed Planeswalker on my __lap. What now, Morrel? _"Um... I assume this was the last time you trusted anyone or anything?" he offered a weak smile.

"Yeah." Mizuki's lips twitched again. "I was always an impatient and rough one, as my parents and big brother used to say, and add the kami's curse, and no one would accept me. If I ever got mad, which is often, my power manifested, and I would have to flee from anyone around me. No culture or household wanted me, so I moved to the fringes of society. Those people from the various planes don't want me, and I don't want them. Not Kamigawa, or this land, or anywhere else! That you found me, Morrel, was total coincidence. Those barbarians didn't know who they were tangling with."

She clenched her right fist, looking down at her normal hand that could turn monstrous at any second. She looked back up at Morrel with a smirk. "Okay, I'm done now. Scared yet? I can get out of your life if you want me to. No one wants me around for long. Once I'm strong enough, I'm going to find that kami and kill it. I need revenge."

Morrel took his chance. "I can help you."

With a clatter, Mizuki fell off her stool in shock, sprawling on the monastery's floor in a heap. She held onto the stool to hoist herself back up with a confused laugh. "Wh-what?"

Morrel got to his feet, heart pounding with determination. "I can't claim the same tragic story as you, but I have something to prove to my king and my prodigious brother," he explained. "It is the duty of mages like me to help others no matter their malady." He pointed at a startled Mizuki. "You're wanted, Mizuki, by King Ledram. You're a scoundrel and a thief in his eyes. You aren't going to run?"

"Can't yet," Mizuki shook her head. "The kami's power does strange things to my Planeswalker power. I can't perform the walk any sooner than three days from now. That's the delay."

"Then you can stay here and listen to me," Morrel offered firmly. "I can strike a deal with the king! Instead of you running away and me staying in my rut, we can help each other. If you can take me with you to the kami creature, I can help you slay it and at the same time, prove myself to my king. What better than to find the elusive scoundrel and slay a great beast to bring her peace?"

Mizuki looked amazed. "You don't really mean that, do you? That's crazy. You can't help me. Not at all."

"Can't I?" Morrel took a step forward. "I can't fully explain it either, but I feel like this is my chance, Mizuki. This is what I've always wanted! There are traditions among my people that apply to this, like the Journey of Souls. Besides..." he couldn't resist a sly grin. "An adventure to faraway lands to slay a great beast is an offer I can't refuse. I thought I'd never get a chance like this."

"You're nuts, I'm telling you," Mizuki insisted, but she couldn't help a reluctant grin. She tossed her dark hair. "Well. You really mean it, don't you?"

"I've made up my mind. I can be quite stubborn, just so you know," Morrel said adamantly. "We're two of a kind, you and I. We have something to gain from this alliance."

"We're nothing alike, but I accept your offer, assuming that your precious king will go along with the deal," Mizuki got up and paced Morrel, evaluating him. "You're a little different from the other people I've met. I'll try you out."

Morrel shrugged. "Well, we _are _kind of alike. Our first names do start with the same letter."

"You're such an idiot."

*o*o*o*o*

By next morning, Morrel's wound had been mended completely, mainly by the healing hands of the caregivers at the Akrasan castle, plus what Morrel considered his youthful toughness. After breakfast in the dining hall, Morrel strode to King Ledram's hall not to request a new mission against the invaders from the other shards, but to make an important request.

"I see, you're rather eager to prove yourself like your brother is," Ledram commented warmly, sitting up straight. The old man's bushy eyebrows rose. "Do you still feel like you live in his shadow, Morrel?"

"I… yes, my liege," Morrel admitted with a bow of his head, heart hammering. _Come on, let this work… _"But I am not doing this for personal gain. I do this as my duty to my kingdom."

The guards stood passively, but Ledram was most intrigued. He leaned forward, robes crinkling. "Then why do you wish to take your Journey of Souls now? Is this your adventurous streak doing the talking?"

"No, it isn't that either!" Morrel stuttered, resisting a nervous laugh as he gestured with his hands. _Actually, it kind of is. _"My liege, I have found someone in great need of my help, and she has accepted an offer I made to her. I now only need your permission to take my Journey and spend an undefined amount of time away from here."

"Say it." Ledram squinted, cautious of what freedoms he allowed adventurous types like Morrel.

The young battlemage drew a deep breath and fiddled with his glasses. "I have found the scoundrel who has been raiding us. She is not a bad person, I assure you, only troubled. She is indeed a Planeswalker, one of those gifted individuals who can –"

Ledram sucked in a sharp breath. "A Planeswalker? You are consorting with one of them?"

"You know about them?" Morrel blinked.

"Yes, I do," Ledram told him firmly, gripping the armrests of his throne tightly. "Morrel, my boy, I do apologize if this information has been kept from you for so long, but…"

The King only swallowed nervously, and Morrel felt his short patience wear right out. "My liege, what is it? Is someone I know one of them, too? A walker of Planes?"

Ledram nodded. "Your own brother. Raphael."

Morrel tried not to curse in front of his King. _Oh, that's just wonderful. Jeez, big brother, you have to loom over me like a mountain? Why didn't you tell me? _He pushed the thought aside for now, wondering how many surprises he would get.

"Still, Raphael does not wish this to be widely known. You may ask him about it, but be careful," Ledram advised. "He's among my top agents. He must not be compromised."

"I know, I know," Morrel grumbled, then fell to one knee. "All the same, I state my request again: may I embark on my Journey of Souls with the troubled one? She has a demon of her past to erase and wants my help. She can take me to her home."

"You know the dangers, don't you, Morrel?" Ledram advised, but he sounded more approving than not.

"That's partly why I want to go. This is my chance to become somebody," Morrel stood by his claims.

Ledram sat back in his throne and waved a hand. "Then so be it! Morrel, I know that you are a boy of action and you have a strong heart. If you return from this adventure, you just may catch up to Raphael. Somewhat."

"I… yes, my liege. Thank you. I must go and prepare," Morrel felt his heart soar, and he tromped down the central aisle of the throne room without looking back.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Aven Squire**

**A/N: **Short chapter, I know, but there's more talk coming up in chapter 3 and I didn't want to put too much in one chapter, so here we are :)


	3. Chapter 3

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 3**

"Morrel, it is as King Ledram said. I don't want my… _secret _to be widely known."

Raphael, the prodigious battlemage, leaned on the stone railing of an outdoor training arena on the castle's outside wall as he spoke to his younger brother. Morrel stood behind him, watching his back. The warm morning sun provided excellent updrafts for warrior-aven and messenger falcons.

Morrel didn't move. "I know, Raphael, but still. Why didn't you tell me that you're a Planeswalker?"

At that, Raphael turned around. Like Morrel, he was clad in a white battlemage cloak and wore leather armor underneath, but that was where the similarity ended. Morrel was a little short and had a shock of short blond hair, but Raphael towered over his younger brother and had an air of calm grace about him. His stern face was tempered somewhat in Morrel's presence, but Morrel had seen Raphael bloodily crush Bant's enemies without any expression on his face, even when killing fellow human beings. His long, smooth black hair was bound in a ponytail that fell down his back, and his bangs were brushed to the sides of his head.

Raphael took a step forward, suddenly looking a little sad. "We have begun to see true horror, Morrel. Nightmarish beasts from Grixis, Jund, and the other lands claim lives and destroy our way of life every day. I have seen and done things no one should have to, and not even my best efforts can stop this enormous conflict we've been dragged into. Neither you nor I deserve this, but it is our duty. We must acknowledge that."

Morrel frowned, frustrated as ever by his brother's typical mystique. "That doesn't really answer my question."

With a heavy sigh, Raphael spun back around to watch the morning sun rise, his long ponytail whipping through the air. "I want to see you grow to be strong, Morrel, but I don't want to see you get yourself killed. If you knew the full extent of my power, your envy would drive you beyond what any other human would even contemplate in order to catch up. I don't want to ruin you."

In his younger days, Morrel would have been offended, but now he only grinned and joined Raphael at the balcony, enjoying the breeze. "Relax, Raphael. It isn't like that."

The elder battlemage looked startled. "Eh?"

Morrel gripped the railing. "Yeah, I admit it: I'm jealous of you. Every day I train, I want to see myself become you. Whenever I go to bed, I think about ways I can get just a little closer to you. Mother and father are proud of us both, but still, I can't get complacent. Now that I'm older and I see what kind of opposition we have… I realize that strength isn't just the ability to destroy and attack others, but the power to hold oneself back for the common good. A sword that cuts everything it touches isn't really a sword."

Looking impressed, Raphael let go of the railing and turned to face Morrel. "I haven't heard that quote in a long time, Morrel." Then he couldn't resist cracking a grin. "And I am proud of you, no matter what my own stance is like. What changed? Did something prompt this?"

"A certain guest, you could say." Morrel related the tale of his meeting with Mizuki, and Raphael recoiled.

"You met another Planeswalker?" Raphael gaped, eyes wide. "And you're going to help her?"

"It'll be dangerous, but she's powerful too. I'll try not to die on you," Morrel smirked. "This might be going against what I said earlier, but I can't resist this chance for adventure. I'm going to show you just what I'm capable of. You must have had many adventures as Planeswalker. Now's my turn."

"I… guess so," Raphael raised his eyebrows. "Truth be told, I've only been to a few other Planes, and this 'Kamigawa' isn't one of them. Just be careful out there."

Morrel adjusted is glasses. "You bet."

Then Raphael glanced at the open dueling ring. "Hey, Morrel."

"Yeah?"

Raphael walked to the arena's center and spread his arms. "Why not show me a few moves right now? It's been a while."

"It's been that long because you crushed me last time!" Morrel cried, but not for the first time, he couldn't resist the call to a challenge. He walked over to one of the ring's starting positions and raised his hands to a ready stance. "But this time won't be like last time."

"Let's see," Raphael responded, moving to the ring's opposite side and raising his hands too, feet spread for stability. He waited three seconds. "Begin!"

Raphael leaped into action at once, and Morrel knew that he had to respond with equal haste. Raphael kicked off the stone arena with his right foot, leaning forward in his pounce to gain maximum speed, fists drawn back. As Morrel rocketed toward his brother in a similar leap, his spine tingled as he knew what Raphael was about to do. At the last second, Morrel twisted out of the way just as Raphael's right fist swung down and hit the arena floor.

Rocks blasted into the air in shattered chunks upon impact, and Raphael crouched at the point of impact, glancing over at his elusive brother. "Very nice, Morrel! You're faster than before," the elder battlemage praised. He calmly stood up, but Morrel felt anything but calm. _He's still as strong as ever. If that blow hit me, my head would be in my gut! _Morrel realized, a sweat breaking out on his forehead. Raphael raised his deceptively ordinary-looking fist and smirked, then leaped once again for a renewed assault.

"Hearts of light, seas of darkness, ang -" Morrel steadied his posture and raised his hands for a Hindering Light spell to deflect Raphael's high-power punches, but Raphael closed the distance faster than Morrel could recite the verse. Instead, Morrel instinctively raised his arms to block, and at the same time squirmed out of the way. Raphael's fist bumped into Morrel's arm, and even from the glancing blow, it felt like an angry Rhox had struck him. Morrel's arm ached as he stumbled back, arm throbbing.

Raphael raised his fists again. "Come on, Morrel. Don't tell me you can't fight back!"

"Oh, I can," Morrel fired back, then produced a pair of throwing knives and slipped to the side. Both silver knives flashed through the air, aimed at his brother's chest. Raphael leaped to the side and Morrel attacked in that instant, swinging a left hook at Raphael's head. Raphael ducked that blow and shot his fist at Morrel's gut, so Morrel wrapped his arm around Raphael's extended arm and tried to flip his brother over with his own attack energy. As Raphael was vaulted, Morrel shot his own fist at his brother's exposed gut, but that left him open. Raphael, still in the air, grabbed Morrel's fist and pulled him closer, then kicked Morrel to the ground and tumbled safely to the ground.

Morrel growled in frustration, determined to one-up Raphael. He waited for Raphael to charge, then skittered to the side and kicked one of the loose stones at the charging Raphael. Blinking in surprise, Raphael swept the rock aside with his hand, but Morrel once again used a distraction to attack, slamming his fist into Raphael's gut before the elder battlemage could raise his defenses. Morrel grinned and spun around in a high-power kick, yet his foot swished through empty air as Raphael leaped backwards, opening his hands and raising them high.

"Now I'll get serious," Raphael declared. He rubbed his aching stomach for a second, then he raised his hands and green and sky-blue mana pulsated from them. Morrel knew what was coming, and he spun around just in time to see the dozen rock chunks rise into the air, levitated by Raphael's manipulation magic. One by one, the rocks arrowed though the air and Morrel had to vault and tumble to avoid the projectiles as they missed and slammed into the arena floor. Raphael crept closer, sweeping his arms as he raised the rocks again and sent them flying in a cloud of debris. Morrel dodged a rock and kicked aside another, but a third slammed into his back and knocked him over. Raphael pounced and descended his foot in a heel-drop, and he sent several rocks charging at the defenseless Morrel for good measure.

"Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts low, shield me from this harm!" Morrel quickly recited, his tongue almost tripping over the words. Raphael's booted foot slammed down on a shimmering blue-gold shield that encased the toppled Morrel, and the rock chunks bounced off and skittered away on the arena floor. Raphael leaped aside as Morrel dispelled the shield, shakily rising to his feet. _My training is lacking. I still have to say the verses to use battle spells, but Raphael doesn't have to say a word! _Raphael's blue-green levitation spell normally required a verse to cast, but the prodigious battlemage had learned to use that spell, and many others, without a word. That added unpredictability and speed to Raphael's blue-green mana attacks.

Morrel wasn't going to let that make him lose.

With a cry, Morrel charged again, drawing two more knives and flinging them one by one. Raphael raised rocks to intercept the knives, so Morrel vaulted into the air, throwing another knife as he went. Raphael dodged the projectile just as Morrel descended, twisting in position to throw down a powerful kick. Raphael's arm came up to block the attack, his arm as immovable as tempered steel. Raphael used his free arm to throw a rock at Morrel, so Morrel landed and slipped away from the rock's flight path and launched a flurry of punches at Raphael, who dodged some and blocked others with his strong arms. Morrel was a little faster, though, and one punch grazed Raphael's cheek. In response, Raphael shot out his foot and kicked Morrel hard in the chest.

Determined not to get knocked away, Morrel felt the wind almost get knocked out of him as he clung to the booted foot hitting his chest, keeping himself attached to Raphael. The elder battlemage looked surprised at this new move, and he swept his arms again, throwing rocks at Morrel. Gritting his teeth and leaking cold sweat into his armor, Morrel endured the high-speed rocks and raised his own hands, fighting for breath. "Brightest dawn, darkest eve, tallest peak, lowest valley, this land will not tolerate this being before me!"

"What...?" Raphael croaked before a blinding bright aura filled the air. An elaborate disk of glowing white mana burst into existence and enveloped Raphael, instantly converting the elder battlemage into mana vapors, and then he was gone. The floating rocks fell to the earth, disconnected from their manipulator. Morrel crouched and tried to breathe in deep to soothe his aching lungs and get his full breath back in time. Grunting in effort, he straightened his glasses and reached out his hands and shouted "Return!"

At once, the white disk spat out a disoriented Raphael, re-admitting him to the physical world. Morrel pounced, spinning around in a high-powered kick that slammed into Raphael's side, sending the elder battlemage tumbling to the stone arena. Morrel charged to continue his assault, but his nerves tingled with alarm.

Morrel whipped around just in time to see a volley of loose rocks flying at him, and he raised his hands to protect himself. "Hearts of light, seas of -"

He was too slow. The rocks pelted his body, knocking him off-balance. Worse, Raphael came in from the side, pouncing on Morrel and pinning him to the hard arena floor. Morrel couldn't believe it: he had just knocked Raphael away! How could he be over here?

"Life replica, right there," Raphael nodded in the direction of his own limp body lying fifteen feet away. Morrel turned too, and saw the limp body corroding into mosses and hardened strands of green mana. _Of course! Raphael's known for his life replica spell to avoid bodily attacks. _Morrel remembered kicking Raphael the instant the elder battlemage had emerged from the Oblivion Ring. _He substituted himself that fast? No way!_

"Well? Do you concede? Not that I will, but one open-palm slam and I can crush you," Raphael demanded, his hardened open palm hovering over Morrel's head.

Morrel grinned. "Are you sure you want to do that? Look down."

"What do you..." Raphael looked down, and saw that Morrel's free hand held a knife right to his leather armor. One thrust would sink that blade into Raphael's liver. Raphael blinked, knowing that in a real battle this could be mutual death.

Raphael got up, offering a hand to help Morrel up too. "Nicely done, Morrel. I don't think we've tied before."

Morrel massaged his aching chest. "Ugh, I guess not. But still, that was only partial power, right?"

Raphael slid his hands into his battlemage cloak's pockets. "Yes, that was 40% power for me. I believe you should work on that defensive/offensive strategy of yours, though, but your use of the Hindering Light was all right. Did you go all out?"

"I... yeah," Morrel admitted, hanging his head. Raphael, however, scooped up the stray throwing knives and handed them back to their owner.

"Morrel, don't worry. I for one believe that you're quite ready for your Journey of Souls," Raphael encouraged him with a sudden grin. "Whatever adventure your Kamigawa friend, Mizuki, takes you on, I'm sure you'll be well-prepared for any peril you face."

A similar grin tugged at Morrel's lips. "Thanks, brother. I'll remember that."

Raphael's face fell. "Very good. Now, I really should go. I'm late for my duties."

He turned and headed for the door back into the castle, his long black ponytail swishing as he moved. Morrel stood in place, knowing what this was about. Though Raphael showed good cheer while fighting, on the inside he was stricken with grief. Only weeks ago, his fiancee, Verellia, had been killed in a mass brawl in a tavern a few miles from the castle. It was a freak accident that Raphael bitterly despised, and he took out his loss by fighting harder than ever against the otherworldly invaders from the other shards of Alara. In fact, Verellia had been slain by a thrown knife to the throat, a rather gristly detail the bartender had related later.

_Maybe I shouldn't have offered a duel while my brother's still occupied with that, _Morrel reflected, watching the closed door that Raphael had gone through. His breathing was still heavy. A second later, he changed his mind. _Then again, seeing me improve in combat makes him proud, and that can be my way to cheer him up. No need to mention this to Mizuki. I ought to go find her, now that I think about it._

*o*o*o*o*

On the day Morrel decided to leave, he visited Yerkel's monastery to say goodbye to his friend. The air was damp and overhead, thick gray clouds assembled for an impending rainstorm. Morrel breathed the damp air deeply through his nose as he rapped the knocker on the wooden door, and it was a few seconds before Yerkel creaked open the door, beady eyes widening.

"Ah. Hello, Morrel. What do you need?" Yerkel opened the door wide to admit his friend, and Morrel stepped into the one-room building, noticing the half-complete scripture and pen on Yerkel's desk.

"Was I interrupting something?" Morrel asked, walking over to the desk for a closer look.

Yerkel closed the door with a thump, his rhino ears twitching. "Yeah, but I don't mind too much."

Morrel couldn't help a grin. Most Rhox monks were known for their stern dedication to spiritual learning and meditation, often mauling those who interfered or denounced their work. Fortunately, Yerkel was a Rhox who felt a little more relaxed about that, especially around Morrel. Morrel seated himself on a rough wooden stool. "Yerkel, I'm going on my Journey of Souls as of now. My Planeswalker friend and I are ready."

"The Mizuki girl, that is?" Yerkel huffed, then smiled warmly. "Be safe out there, Morrel. Goodness knows that none of the other Alara worlds are as orderly and pure as ours, and perhaps the lands beyond are even more hellish. Who knows what this 'Kamigawa' realm is like?"

"Thanks for the concern, Yerkel, but I -" Morrel started, until a sudden voice cut him off.

"Well, there's a serious kami problem on my land, if that's what you mean," Mizuki snapped, dropping down from the ceiling. She landed lightly on her feet, crouching and looking up at Morrel and Yerkel. She wore clean Bant clothing given to her by Morrel, an improvement over her previous ragged clothing.

Morrel jumped as Yerkel snorted in alarm. "Mizuki! When did you get here?"

Mizuki smirked, tossing a lock of her dark hair. "Since before you, Morrel. I was on the ceiling, as you can tell."

Morrel gestured, mind racing. "B-but... how did you know I'd come here at this time?" He looked up. "And why the ceiling?"

"I'm a scoundrel, Morrel. I know how to get around," Mizuki's smirk didn't fade. "And I know how much you like to hang around with your friends and family. Of course you'd say goodbye to Yerkel here."

"Now, being a part of a community is very important. Don't disrespect our ways so easily or -" Yerkel began hotly until Morrel waved a hand. "Relax, Yerkel," Morrel assured him. "She's just not used to our ways."

Mizuki folded her arms. "Can we go now?"

Yerkel squinted at Mizuki's poor manners, but Morrel decided to save the situation. "Yeah, I'm ready. We'll meet again, Yerkel. Be well."

Yerkel dipped his head. "And the same to you, good friend."

Morrel and Mizuki stepped outside into the damp spring winds, and once she was sure that no one was watching, Mizuki gripped Morrel's right wrist and closed her eyes.

"What's that for?" Morrel frowned at Mizuki's tight grip. He felt ethereal tingles spread up his arm.

"Physical contact is needed for me to bring others with me to different Planes," Mizuki explained, screwing her face in concentration. "Now shut up."

"Physical contact, huh?" Morrel attempted an awkward grin before a sudden flare blinded him from the Akrasan countryside, and he and Mizuki suddenly became very far away from the only home Morrel ever knew.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Hindering Light, Oblivion Ring, Rhox War Monk**


	4. Chapter 4

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 4**

"Okay, so tell me... what the hell is _this_?"

Morrel didn't even know where to start. One minute he was standing in the serene evening grasslands outside the Akrasa castle with Mizuki, and the next minute, he found himself knee-deep in... stuff. Slimy, smelly, disgusting _stuff._

"What is this, you ask? It's the Takenuma Swamp," Mizuki folded her arms and smirked as though it was obvious. Like Morrel, she stood knee-deep in thick, foul-smelling water that made Morrel's stomach squirm in a very unpleasant way. She didn't seem to mind the dirtiness at all. Morrel started to wonder if Mizuki enjoyed being dirty and rowdy just to spite society.

"And how can such a foul place exist? I've never seen anything like this!" Morrel demanded, growing more hysterical by the second. His pants and expensive leather boots were completely covered in swamp muck up to the knee, and Morrel pulled his left leg out of the water with a slurp and pop of swamp muck. In all directions, all he could see was swamp water, dense foliage, strange tall wooden plants, and in the near distance, a two-story wooden building with a tall roof stood like a husk. The air was also thick and smelly, like the water. Insects buzzed all around and the sky was cloudy.

Mizuki only chuckled and sloshed forward in the water, tugging on Morrel's arm to get him moving. "Get your ass moving, why don't you? Do you want to lose your head?"

"Say what?" Morrel squinted as he let Mizuki lead him on. He tried to keep repulsion out of his voice.

"The Takenuma Swamp isn't safe," Mizuki told him. She wore her Bant mage clothing, but the legs of her pants were rolled up to the knee and her feet were bare. She seemed to like going barefoot. "O-bakemono, nezumi, and kami lurk all around, as well as your everyday bandit gangs. I meant to get us to the base of the Sokenzan Mountains, but I was a little inaccurate when I Planeswalked here. My mistake."

Morrel forced a nervous chuckle as Mizuki led him up a slope to halfway solid land. At least, his feet were out of water. "Huh? I don't even know what all those things are. I recognize the name kami, the spirit beings you told me about earlier, but nezumi? And O-bakimamo?"

"O-bakemono. Creatures you call ogres. I've seen some in other worlds, but the ones in this swamp are intelligent and quite bloodthirsty," Mizuki commented. "They worship the oni, the demons of Kamigawa."

"We won't happen across any 'oni', now will we?" Morrel asked, concerned. He and Mizuki walked along firm, damp land, past clumps of the tall wood plants.

Mizuki shook her head. "Probably not, since they're rare. The nezumi, which are rat-men, are more common, as well as minor kami seeped in black and red mana. Watch out for those. If you get scared, just hang on tight and I'll get them."

"H-hey, wait a second," Morrel squinted down at his smirking companion. "Me, scared? I am not afraid of the creatures of this swamp! I am blessed with the grace and strength of the angels, and have earned sigils fighting the monsters from Grixis and Jund. I will not flee from honorable battle."

"You'd better get blessed by something else quick, then," Mizuki laughed, "'cause there ain't any angels on Kamigawa!"

"Oh, that's just great," Morrel groaned, which Mizuki found even funnier. He looked down. "And is there something we can do about the mud? This is my only set of battlemage robes and the added weight of the mud slows me down."

Mizuki clapped her hands to her cheeks in mock concern as she walked beside Morrel. "Oh, my! Is poor little Morrel sad that his pretty clothes got dirty?"

Heat flushed across Morrel's face and his scalp itched. "How dare you mock me?"

Mizuki knelt, reaching into the water. Morrel wondered what she was doing, until she whipped her hand up and splashed more brown-gray water onto Morrel's clothes. Morrel leaped back from the water. "Hey!" he protested. "What are you...?"

"Better get used to getting dirty, Morrel," Mizuki remarked as she stood back up and tossed a lock of her messy black hair. "'Cause that's what happens when you travel with me!"

Morrel's shoulders slumped. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

"Kind of, kind of not. The danger is real, at least," Mizuki said, planting her fists on her hips. "I wasn't lying about the o-bakemono or nezumi."

"But you don't have to be so... so..." Morrel sputtered, fightin to find a way to describe Mizuki's behavior. "Look, do you want my help or not?"

"I do, and I know you're as eager to do this as I am," Mizuki said knowingly, marching off again, motioning with a hand. "Are you going to catch up, slowpoke?"

_She makes no sense, _Morrel cursed as he jogged through swamp water to keep up. A minute later, something occurred to him. "How long is this operation going to take?"

Mizuki didn't turn around, but she did shrug. "Oh, I don't know. That kami I'm hunting is probably lurking somewhere around the Sokenzan Mountains, so if we make good time, oh... a few days."

Morrel felt a grumble in his stomach. "And did you bring enough rations for us?" he asked testily. He felt the weight of only two days' worth in his pockets. _I should have brought more!_

However, Mizuki only snorted. "Come on. Ration packs are for samurai, not for an expert like me. We'll raid whatever we need along the way."

Morrel almost stumbled over, gripping a rod of the strange wood plants for support. "What did you say?" His glasses went askew from the loss of balance. "Raid? As in steal? And what are samurai?"

Mizuki sighed and rolled her eyes, stopping again. "Samurai are this world's equal to your knights and soldiers. And _yes_, I said raid. We'll find human settlements or nezumi camps, take what we need, and move on. It's easy. I've done it a lot. No one will notice, as long as you don't mess up."

With an angry huff, Morrel clenched his fists and whirled around. "Forget this. You don't take me seriously and now you want me to trod on my morals! I'm out of here." He started to sloppily stomp away from Mizuki, but her voice called out to stop him. "Where will you go?" she asked in hard tones.

"Back home, so I..." Morel stopped dead, insides going cold with fear. He was not home. This was a huge swamp in a faraway land, and Mizuki was his only ticket out... and she had to wait three days before Planeswalking again. The realization of where he was and what he was doing descended on Morrel's shoulders like a huge Rhox, and his legs suddenly trembled. He gulped and re-adjusted his glasses.

He heard sloshing behind him and Mizuki caught up. "Don't run away just yet," the girl encouraged him with a haughty tone, slapping his back. "We're only just getting started! This is the fun part."

"I... yeah. Sorry about that," Morrel turned back around to a triumphant Mizuki. "I just got wound up, that's all."

Mizuki innocently put a finger to her lips, but Morrel considered her anything but innocent. "Well... I guess I've been a little rude."

"A little?" Morrel flared up, but he forced himself to calm down. He slogged off in the direction Mizuki had been going, and she caught up, taking the lead. After a half hour of silent trekking, Morrel couldn't help but notice something. "You seem kind of relaxed about this."

"Do I?" Mizuki leaped over an upraised tree root like a pouncing cat, bare feet pushing off the thick wooden root.

"Well... sort of. This is the revenge story of your life, isn't it?" Morrel asked, hoping he didn't sound insensitive.

Mizuki snorted with amusement. "I find my way around, make my own rules, do what I like and how I like it," she figured, but Morrel heard a bitter tone under her voice. "That doesn't leave a lot of room for worrying and stressing and getting wound up about anything in particular. I found my own lifestyle, Morrel. Don't expect me to live by your ideas of an honorable, stable life. This is _me_."

Suddenly Morrel felt ashamed at his words, dipping his head. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Mizuki."

She stopped in place, then turned and walked up to Morrel with a determined look. He looked sheepishly at her, then cried out as she hit him on the head with a playful smile.

"What the hell, Morrel? Don't apologize for nothin'! I didn't bring a weakling along with me, now did I?"

"No," Morrel stood up straight. "I simply don't know how far to go with you, or what offends you. You've told me almost nothing about yourself to me."

"That's how it usually is. My business is my business," Mizuki concluded, eyes bright. "_But_, it is your business if I can get revenge on the kami that annihilated everything I ever knew and cursed me with this black mana power. If you can help me with that... you'll have my thanks."

_Now she's the humble one, _Morrel thought as he and Mizuki set off again. _Oh, she is going to require a lot of figuring out!_

Morrel could see towering, jagged mountains up ahead, probably still many hours' travel away. He munched at his rations, internally apologizing to the angels for planning on stooping to theft on his journey. _I sure hope there really is something around here soon. It's just swamp! _He tried to be patient and alert, but hours passed and Mizuki only led Morrel further into the Takenuma Swamp with no tangible progress, not even monsters to fight.

"Come _on_, Mizuki. Where is your damned kami?" Morrel wheezed impatiently some time later, exhausted from slogging through the swamp muck. Crickets chorused in the foliage and frogs croaked. "I'm getting tired."

"And you think I'm not?" Mizuki bit back angrily. She tromped onto firmer land, wallowing her legs in a pool of clear water to clean off her bare feet.

Morrel slumped his shoulders. "I'm just saying, this trek is taking a freakin' long time. Why did we have to appear in the middle of this swamp? Where is that kami creature? Do you even have an inkling where it could be?"

Mizuki angrily stomped a foot in the water, splashing it onto her white pant legs. "I know where we are, and where we should go! My Planeswalking isn't perfect, all right? I can't Planeswalk somewhere with 100% accuracy. There's always a drift when I do it. It's probably because of my curse, tampering with my Planeswalker Spark!"

"Well, as long as this doesn't wind up a wasted trip, I can try," Morrel pouted, patience worn out.

With a snarl, Mizuki thrashed out her right arm, and Morrel jumped with shock as her arm grew into its huge, cursed state. The fingers on Mizuki's giant black hand flexed, white claws sharp. "I'm doing what I can here!" she growled. "I"m just not used to dragging around some crybaby who wants everything his way!"

"That's not how it is!" Morrel flared back. "Excuse me if I'm not a little stressed out. I wasn't prepared for an endless swamp trek."

"I guess not," Mizuki sighed, lowering her huge arm. "But still, this is all we can do. You _do _still want to finish your quest, right? Or do you want to stomp off again?"

"I'm not going away," Morrel said firmly. "Both because I can't leave, and I don't want to yet." He tried to relax. "Look, I'm sorry, I just..."

"Forget it," Mizuki cut him off, manually shrinking her cursed arm to normal state. "I didn't plan on a swamp trek, either. Still, if we get a little closer to the Sokenzan Mountains, the swamp will thin out and become drier, and we'll find human habitation. A number of small-time feudal lords have castles here, alongside many nezumi dens and ogre caves. Just hang on for once."

"Well, there's the danger again," Morrel grinned confidently, and Mizuki couldn't help but mirror it. "Should we go?"

Nodding, Mizuki started off again, and Morrel diligently followed her lead, fervently hoping to find shelter with these alleged feudal lords. As the Sokenzan Mountains drew ever nearer, Morrel found relief in walking on increasingly firm land, even with some rocks. He also passed by a number of abandoned shacks, proof of at least prior human habitation here.

"Help us! Anyone!"

Mizuki perked at a sudden shout, settling into a tense crouch. Morrel gripped his throwing knives in his cloak, heart pounding. "Hello?" he shouted, but he could only see swamp mist and thickets of the tall wooden plants.

Then, with a burst and a splash, three travelers emerged on the scene, carrying packs of trade goods on their backs and running for their lives from something. Morrel only caught a glimpse of their attire, including straw sandals and round, flat cone-like straw hats, before the marauders arrived. At least a dozen humanoids expertly leaped out of the foliage like predators, shouting and chattering in bloodlust. One of them drew back a bow, and an arrow whistled through the air, striking one of the travelers in the back in a burst of blood. The man cried out and fell into the swamp muck, not moving a muscle. The rest of the marauders scattered wide as they ran, leaping and vaulting over upraised tree roots.

"Nezumi raiders!" Mizuki shouted. "Morrel, these are the rat-men I told you about. Let 'em have it!"

"Please, you must help. We're defenseless against them!" one of the narrow-eyed traders begged Morrel, glancing fearfully at his fallen comrade.

Morrel knelt in the swamp muck, beyond carrying about getting his clothes dirty. He clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "Then by the grace and might of the angels, I will banish these vermin from our sight." He began to chant a prayer, but one of the nezumi pounced on its strong legs, clad in wooden armor and brandishing a curved sword. Morrel widened his eyes at the interruption, but before he could do anything, Mizuki intercepted the nezumi in mid-flight. Her cursed right hand grew gigantic, and its white talons clamped down on the nezumi, crushing it into bloody pieces.

"I wasn't even done!" Morrel sputtered, shocked at the sudden violence as the nezumi's body parts fell into the water, spreading red blood into the muck.

Mizuki wheeled around to confront three more nezumi. "This isn't your honorable Bant world, Morrel! Get up and fight, or you die on your knees! Don't make me babysit you!"

"Fine!" Morrel leaped to his feet, raising his fists in a combat posture. Mizuki pounced on the nearby trio of nezumi, sweeping her giant hand through the air to cleave them in half. She knocked one down and lacerated it, but the other two evaded her attacks, thrusting spears at Mizuki's open flank. She squirmed out of the way, but one spear's point cut into her left shoulder, drawing blood.

Morrel rushed to his ally's aid, but one of the nezumi, a big one clad in wooden armor, cackled with a squeak and whipped around a long chain with a weight on each end. As Morrel leaped into the air to pounce on Mizuki's attackers, the rat's weighted chain flashed through the air and wrapped itself around Morrel's legs, binding them together. The rat tugged on the chains, and Morrel grunted as he was heaved back to the ground and clumsily collapsed onto a patch of semi-dry land, unable to get back up. Two nezumi archers drew back their bows and fired, and Morrel raised his hands in defiance. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!"

Both arrows struck the shield, and the magic barrier spat sparks as it tried to defy the arrowheads. However, the two points slipped through the barrier, yet their momentum was broken by hitting the shield. As the barrier shattered, the two arrows clattered harmlessly to the ground, confusing the nezumi archers.

_Curse it. My barrier is no good against focused, pinpoint attacks. It's better for blunt or swarm assaults, _Morrel fumed. Now the nezumi knew his barrier's weak point, but he didn't want to give them the chance to exploit it. As Mizuki slew a nezumi lancer, Morrel gripped the chains binding his legs, watching out for the nezumi swordsmen charging at him. "Beasts of burden, birds of flight, trees of fruit, gardens of flowers, nature does not tolerate artifice in her bosom!"

Green magic seeped from Morrel's hands as he completed the spell's verse, and the chains dissolved and crumbled at the touch of the green magic.

"What the hell did you do?" Mizuki asked curiously as she traded blows with a huge nezumi berserker.

"A naturalize spell. Very handy, even though green mana isn't my forte," Morrel called back, then got back into the fight. The nezumi archers released two more arrows, so Morrel tumbled to avoid the projectiles, letting them flash through empty air. A nezumi swordsman tried to slash at the tumbling Morrel, but the Bant battlemage, still on the ground, twisted and shifted the swordsman's charge with a mighty heave. The nezumi squeaked in alarm as it was vaulted awkwardly into the air, and Morrel jumped up, throwing a hard punch. The nezumi's head was thrown to the side and the creature was sent crashing to the swamp floor, sinking halfway into a mud hole.

The archers took a nervous step back, shakily drawing their bows again. Morrel glanced back at the defeated swordsman. _Finally, my offense/defense hybrid style worked again! Why does it never work on strong enemies? _All the same, Morrel whipped out a throwing knife and heaved it before the archers could fire, and the knife thudded into a nezumi archer's furry throat with a nasty crunch. The beast gurgled blood and slumped over, causing its ally to shriek in alarm and try to scamper away. Pushing off the ground, Morrel leaped after the fleeing rat-man, catching up in a matter of seconds. "Angels have mercy on your soul!" Morrel roared as he smashed the nezumi's head into a tree root and crushed it.

"Doing okay over there? Need any help?" Mizuki taunted Morrel, as she blocked a nezumi's sword strike with her cursed hand. Her hand's tough black skin blocked the attack, only suffering a minor scratch.

"Do _you _need any help?" Morrel countered, adrenaline coursing though his body and his nerves tingling. He counted six surviving nezumi surrounding him and Mizuki, the wary rat warriors looking for an opening to take down their two opponents. As soon as the rats leaped into action, some of them threw sharp metal objects through the air to cover the approach of three swordsmen.

"Shuriken! Normally, a ninja tool," Mizuki commented, sweeping her giant hand to deflect some of the projectiles. Morrel tumbled out of the way of the other projectiles, confused. "Shuriken? Ninja?" he repeated.

Mizuki grunted as she leaped after a nezumi. "I don't have time to explain everything!" she argued. Her giant hand's ivory-colored claws carved into a nezumi, scaring away another one in the process. Morrel turned and saw a nezumi swordsman charging at him with its blade raised for the kill, so Morrel figured out an opening in the nezumi's attack and slipped through it. Seizing the rat-man's arm, Morrel forced the nezumi past him, then threw a trio of throwing knives into its back, slaying the beast. Dodging more shuriken projectiles, Morrel panted from his exertions as he retrieved the knives from the dead nezumi's back, then retrieved his fourth knife from a fallen nezumi archer. He and Mizuki prepared to confront the last few nezumi, but then something drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

"Wh-what?" Morrel gritted as a supernatural wailing shuddered through the air. Then, out of the foliage, a huge, bizarre creature emerged, its gaping jaws emitting the horrible wailing. Morrel fell to his knees as his brain started to go numb from the sound, and Mizuki and the nezumi similarly fell victim to the creature's howls. Morrel squinted at it: the beast stood on two black-skinned, humanoid legs, and had humanoid arms with long fingernails. Fleshy, tattered membranes grew over its shoulders and a long head, and its tongue was long and forked. Most interesting was a quintet of glowing, ethereal orbs that floated along with the creature's movements. The creature's very presence disturbed Morrel's sense of normalcy.

"Just what _is _that?" Morrel demanded.

"It's a kami!" Mizuki grated, trying to slip over to Morrel. "That's an Akuba. The sound of children weeping is a song that fills its heart with joy. Akubas are vile creatures, feared throughout the Takenuma Swamp."

"Is the kami that cursed your arm an Akuba?" Morrel asked tensely over the noise.

"N... no! My kami target looked more like a weird lizard-centipede hybrid, if I remember clearly. This thing... is just begging for me to kill it!"

At those words, Mizuki pushed off the ground with her bare feet, leaping after the Akuba with her enormous right hand's fingers outstretched. Shocked, the Akuba rocked in place, intensifying its shriek. The nezumi cried out and then blood burst from their ears, causing them to pitch forward and collapse. Mizuki, meanwhile, slashed down her hand to tear apart the Akuba, but the Akuba seemed to vanish as soon as Mizuki tried to claw at it.

Morrel stared in confusion at the scene, then realized that the Akuba had dodged the blow ultra-fast, relocating itself several yards away. Morrel huffed and leaped after the Akuba, throwing two knives to distract it as he got close. However, the Akuba moved away again, and Morrel's knives sank into the dirt.

"Behind you!" Mizuki cried out, and Morrel whipped around just in time to see another horrifying creature emerging from the swamp muck behind him. The drooling beast towered over Morrel, with an elongated head and vivid green eyes and a mouth of sharp teeth. Its arms and fingers were long and spindly, and its long, bladed tail swished through the air. Several purple flame orbs floated around the creature's head like a mockery of an angel's halo.

_I just love this place, _Morrel dryly thought to himself, then he vaulted in the air to avoid the newcomer's attack with its pointed fingers, the creature's sharp fingers whistling through the air. "Hey, Mizuki! Is this another kami?"

"Looks like it," Mizuki replied, eying the newcomer warily. She didn't have time to gawk; the Akuba instantly placed itself at Mizuki's location, viciously swinging with its clawed hands. Mizuki backed away and to the side, blocking one blow after another with her giant hand.

Morrel, still in the air, spun and descended in a drop-kick intended to take his kami opponent's head off.

The big kami blocked Morrel's kick with a spindly hand, firmly resisting his kick. _These things are really tough for their size! _Morrel realized, then tried to squirm out of the way as the kami slashed out with its other hand. Morrel dropped to the ground and swept his leg in an arc, smashing into the kami's knees and sending it toppling. The beast fell onto its rear quarters with a grunt, but its bladed tail flashed through the air at Morrel's head.

"Hearts of light, seas of -" Morrel raised his hands and started his verse, but he was too slow. He aborted his Hindering Light shield and tumbled away from harm, but the blade still sliced into his right arm, drawing blood and making him cry out in agony. Growling, Morrel drew two knives from his cloak and threw them mightily, but the kami deflected them with its fingers. It lowered its hands and tried to attack again, but Morrel quickly threw a third knife that pierced the kami's chest. Quickly clapping his hands together, Morrel channeled red mana into the knife, and a fiery explosion rocked the kami.

"That's a little better! Those verse-activated spells are way too slow," Mizuki commented while she and the Akuba continued to trade rapid blows.

"The verses are needed to control and focus my spells! At least, that's what battlemages like me are taught!" Morrel grunted back as he and the big kami exchanged blows. "Leave me alone!" The kami whipped out its tail and Morrel jumped up to seize the kami's arm to throw it over his shoulder, but the creature was too heavy. Slipping away from a claw strike, Morrel instead swung his leg and kicked the kami's head, throwing it to the side. Shrieking in anger, the kami struck Morrel with its other hand, sending him crashing to the swamp.

The Akuba slipped by Mizuki and placed itself right in front of Morrel, then lightly cut into his skin with its fingers. It slipped away before Morrel could retaliate, and the Akuba lightly slashed Mizuki with its talons as well. Neither strike was very powerful, but Morrel got a bad feeling about it.

Mizuki grunted with effort. "Take... this!" She raised her left arm, and wisps of black mana emanated from her fingers. Then, she clenched her fist and drew it back, and a half-dozen tendrils of solid black mana erupted from the swamp water, lashing out at the Akuba and other kami. The bigger kami slashed a tendril in half with its tail, but roared as two more tendrils impaled its chest, making it collapse to the ground and struggle to get back up. The Akuba dodged two tendrils but was slapped by the third, thrown to the swamp muck. Screeching, the Akuba clenched its fists, and then Morrel gasped as waves of pain surged through his body, coming from the wounds the Akuba had dealt him. Mizuki similarly fell, wracked by the Akuba's effects.

"It... it can corrupt anyone if it has drawn their blood!" Mizuki gasped. "M-Morrel... do something!"

The Akuba approached for the kill, and the other kami got up to join it. The Akuba appeared right in front of Morrel and he tried to dodge it, but the kami's punch sent him sprawling. However, when the Akuba tried to punch again, Morrel seized its arm and threw it to the side, then he got to his feet and hit the other kami with two knives. This gave Mizuki a chance to get through the big kami's defenses and slash it with her claws, tearing off its left arm. The Akuba got back up and clenched its fists again, and Morrel fell to his knees as the kami's effect took hold again. Mizuki cried out as the bigger kami knocked her aside with its tail, and then it tried to slash her with its tail blade while she was down.

Heart hammering, Morrel quickly recited a verse and a blue-gold shield deflected the kami's tail blade, then he began a new verse as the Akuba approached him. Just before the Akuba could slip away, a giant circular formation of white mana formed around the Akuba, banishing it from existence in a flash of light. Taking this chance, Morrel leaped after the bigger kami, but the creature opened its jaws and exhaled, waves of light green vapors issuing from its throat. Morrel choked and gagged on the foul vapors, then realized that he had just inhaled a poison gas. "Mizuki! Don't breathe it..."

"Too late," Mizuki looked sick and dizzy. She gestured with her huge right hand. "Hurry and kill it!"

Morrel felt his strength being sapped away, his body going numb from the toxins in his bloodstream. He focused past the effects and seized the kami's head, wrenching it around as hard as he could. Bones and flesh crunched as the kami's head was twisted at a fatal angle, and the huge kami gurgled and collapsed into the swamp muck for a final time. Morrel clumsily turned to his Oblivion Ring and gestured. "Release!" The Akuba came back into existence, and Morrel kicked it aside before it could do anything. Then, Mizuki summoned a trio of black mana tendrils and impaled the Akuba, sundering it to pieces. Morrel dispelled the Ring, then staggered over to Mizuki, his body weak. "Hey! We did it! We..."

"Y... yeah," Mizuki mumbled, her face pale. Her eyes rolled up in her head, and then her right arm turned to normal and she pitched forward. Panicking, Morrel caught Mizuki and gently lowered her to the ground, but he felt fainter by the second. "Mizuki! Are you okay?" Morrel demanded, but his body felt weak and his gut squirmed with nausea. He lost his grip on Mizuki and fell to the soft earth beside her, realizing that the poison was manifesting itself fully. The last thing Morrel saw was a number of fellow humans emerge from the foliage and hurry over to help the poison-stricken duo, concern on their faces.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Swamp (Jim Nelson), Nezumi Cutthroat, Hindering Light, Naturalize, Wicked Akuba, Tendrils of Corruption, Oblivion Ring**

**A/N: **I invented the kami with the blade-tail and poison breath. Not many of the kami from the cards were very good, so I made one up!


	5. Chapter 5

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 5**

A wooden ceiling was the first thing Morrel saw as he opened his eyes. Blinking, he realized that he was lying down in a bed, the covers heavy but comfortable. He stirred and bolted upright, his body sore. Trying to ignore his body's less-than-perfect condition, Morrel took a look at where he was. This room was a square, at least twenty feet by twenty feet and mostly bare. A glassless window at the far wall showed a view of the outskirts of the Takenuma Swamp outside, and Morrel beheld a short table sitting a few paces away from his bed. It was round, but its legs very short, too short for anyone to use unless they practically knelt before it. A white mat sat before the table, as though for such a person to kneel upon.

_Wait, this can't be right, _Morrel's mind writhed in confusion. He looked down at his bed, or rather, his lack of one. His bedroll lay right on the floor, with no wooden frame at all, and his pillow was a soft rectangular prism of fabric. Morrel tossed aside the covers and stood upright, realizing that he wore some sort of robe. It had long wide sleeves and folded over itself at the chest, a number of designs set into the light gray fabric. His feet were bare but his glasses were on.

"You're awake now?" a voice asked, and Morrel turned to see Mizuki lying on a "bed" similar to his, a few paces to his right. She wore a similar robe, a fiery red one. Her unkempt black hair was askew as she relaxed with her hands behind her head.

"Where are we? A healer's house?" Morrel asked. He had sometimes visited healers back in Bant, the caregivers administering their healing magic to those injured from fighting invaders from other shards of Alara. He had once visited the famed balmgivers of the Jhess nation and had been impressed by their expertise.

"What? This isn't a healer house. Does it look like one?" Mizuki snorted. "No, this seems to be the castle of a minor feudal lord."

"How can you tell?" Morrel asked, frowning. "This is just one room, and it's rather sparsely furnished."

Mizuki pointed behind her. "I explored while you just napped the day away. We're guests here, and this is the guest room."

"Oh." Morrel turned to find the guest room's door but couldn't find it. "Um... where's the door?"

"Oh, yeah. In Kamigawa people use sliding doors, often made of wood or paper," Mizuki explained, clearly enjoying knowing more than Morrel did. She gestured lazily with a hand. "Take hold of the wooden frame and slide the door back. Just don't break it."

"Why would I?" Morrel bristled. He advanced to the door to open it, but before he could, someone from the other side slid it open and entered. A woman clad in a silk dress-robe lightly entered the room, her dark hair held up in a bun with elaborate needles. Her hands were clasped before her and she held her head low in respect, eyelids half-closed.

"I see you have awakened, my dear," the woman addressed Morrel in a delicate voice, looking up at last. Like Mizuki, this woman had somewhat narrow eyes, leading Morrel to presume all human beings in Kamigawa had such a trait. "How are you feeling?"

Morrel sat down on his frame-less bed. "A little sore, but the last thing I remember is lying wounded and poisoned in the swamp. You've done a fine job healing me and my friend." He offered a smile.

The woman held back a chuckle behind her hand. "You are too kind, traveler, but I was not the one who healed you and your friend. I am Akane, wife of my lord Oboro."

Morrel mouthed the strange names to himself. "Who is Oboro? The lord of this castle?" _Is this whole castle made of wood? I see no stone or mortar in the walls._

"Yes. He rules the nearby lands with a just hand, too," Akane answered. "Our kitsune staff were the ones to heal the both of you. You are both lucky that our men found you! Us humans must certainly look after each other during these hard times against the kami. Oboro has long suffered the presence of many powerful kami. He is glad to find fellow humans to protect."

"Oh yeah, the kami. Well... thanks again," Morrel clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "By the way, what are kitsune?" he blurted.

Mizuki drew a sharp breath. "Akane, thanks for your time. My friend and I want some time alone before setting off."

"Of course," Akane bowed. "Breakfast for you both will be brought soon." She exited the guest room, sliding the wooden door closed behind her.

Mizuki rounded on Morrel. "Not so many questions," she hissed. "Seriously."

"I just wanted to know!" Morrel winced.

"Well, I'll just tell you that kitsune are fox-men who are are skilled clerics and healers, and are friendly to humanity," Mizuki told him. "They usually live in the Jukai Forest, a place of green mana, but some are wanderers and have come under the employ of human warlords. This Oboro guy is an example."

"All right. I'll be sure to thank the kitsune who healed me," Morrel decided. He realized that he was rather hungry and was looking forward to that breakfast, whatever outlandish food it would consist of.

Mizuki snorted again. "Sure, sure. But really, we're going to set off as soon as we can and resume the hunt for the kami who ruined my life. I don't want to sit here making friends with random warlord wannabe's and relax in bed all day. We can't sit still for long."

"You seemed content to relax just a few minutes earlier," Morrel pointed out.

With a huff, Mizuki got up and walked over to her clothes, which were piled against the wall next to a pile of Morrel's own clothes. "Well, I was just waiting for you to be up. Let's not take up too much more time."

Morrel nodded to her words, figuring that she was right. _We have a mission to complete, after all. Her salvation and my honor ride on being able to locate and slay this kami beast. But I will still extend my thanks to this warlord Oboro and his kitsune. His men must have been sent by the angels! _Then, Morrel did a double take: Mizuki, humming to herself, undid the soft belt of her robe and dropped her robe to the floor, nude except for her undergarments.

"Wh-what in...? Mizuki!" Morrel yelped, blushing and raising a hand to shield his eyes.

"Oh, whoops. I'm not used to being shy around others. I'm used to being by myself," Mizuki figured. "I was deep in thought and forgot that you were there watching. Come on, don't be afraid to look. It won't kill ya."

"But that would be improper!" Morrel objected, but he reluctantly lowered his hand. Mizuki grinned wolfishly and put a hand on her hip, asking, "What's the matter, Morrel? Haven't you seen a girl in her underwear before?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Morrel sputtered, wondering why Mizuki tormented him so. He honestly had to fight to avoid getting aroused by the sight of her. _She keeps teasing me! What's her problem? Well, maybe it's not a problem. Maybe she's... just having fun since I'm her first companion in a long time? Perhaps she's more lonely than she realizes._

"No? Then you must have a boring life, Morrel," Mizuki smirked, picking up her Bant clothing. She put on her shirt and leather-armor vest, then slipped on her white pants and rolled them up to the knees, keeping her feet bare. She wandered over to a corner of the room and faced the wall, folding her arms. "Fine. If you don't want to look at me then I won't look at you," Mizuki pouted. "Get changed quick."

Morrel sighed. "Okay, okay." As soon as he was out of his robes and into his Bant battlemage gear, he noted that all of his and Mizuki's clothing had been washed free of the swamp muck and blood. His shirt and pants, leather armor, and cloak were all spotless, and all of his throwing knives rested in his cloak's inner pockets where they were supposed to be. Not long after that, a servant brought two trays of food, each laden with fish, rice, and soup. Morrel and Mizuki ate briskly and were led further into the castle. It turned out that the guest room was on the highest level.

"Where are you headed, travelers?" the male servant asked as he led Morrel and Mizuki to the main lobby. Shields, swords, and tables of priceless items were against the walls.

"We're... trying to find our way," Mizuki responded, trying to sound weary for some reason. "But my friend and I are tired from our trek and have only narrowly escaped multiple kami attacks! We're trying to reach refuge in the Jukai Forest but we were forced to take a detour through the swamp. We're going to try and skirt the Sokenzan Mountains. Maybe we can find a little more safety there..."

"You poor thing," the servant sounded convinced, then stopped. "Wait here. I will bring you extra supplies. Oboro will understand. You both seem like good people."

The servant walked away and descended a flight of stairs that Morrel presumed would lead to a storeroom. "Can we come?" Morrel asked, starting to follow the servant.

The servant jolted. "No thank you, guest. I can handle this myself. Please remain here until I return." He seemed rather nervous as he hurried down the stairs and out of sight, and Morrel got the feeling he was hiding something, but dismissed it. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

From deeper in the castle, a number of warriors clad in tough-looking wooden armor and helmets and bearing curved swords tromped by. Morrel guessed that they were the "samurai" knights that Mizuki had mentioned. Morrel watched in fascination as the samurai went through the front door and deployed outside, fanning out on a patrol.

"Looks like their morning shift has started," Mizuki commented. "I've seen warlords move their samurai in shifts like that before. Hmmmmmm..."

Morrel felt content to look around at the priceless items on display, making sure not to touch anything, even the elaborately-carved daggers and swords mounted on wall brackets. Some of them even had jewels set into them. He glanced over at Mizuki. "These treasures are pretty good, aren't they?"

Mizuki, who had had her hand pressed against the wall with a few wisps of black mana, turned away and held her hands tightly before her as though hiding something. Morrel wandered over, checking if there was a problem.

"What?" Mizuki asked defensively, and then Morrel saw that Mizuki held an antique dagger to her chest, trying to hide it from sight. She attempted to slip it into a pocket, but Morrel reached out and held her arm tight, stopping her.

"What are you doing?" Morrel seethed, blood pounding in his ears. "Were you trying to steal that?"

Mizuki wrenched her arm free, slipping the dagger into her pocket. "Not... really. I just need some money after we defeat the kami. I've got nothing except the clothes on my back and the curse in my arm. I've got to set myself up _somehow_."

Morrel muttered a curse. "What? You can't just steal something and pawn it off to make yourself rich! That's no way to live."

"Why not?" Mizuki bit back, eyes flashing. "I need this! What is would Oboro do with it, gawk at it all day while kami rage about? I will put this thing to good use. I could get a lot for it. Oboro is a fool to not guard it more heavily. I easily removed a detection spell that was cast on the wall."

Grunting, Morrel reached into Mizuki's pocket and withdrew the antique dagger, tossing it into the air and catching it again. He set it on the wall bracket where it had been earlier. "Stealing is wrong, Mizuki! Is this how you're going to start your new life, stealing and betraying the one who helped heal you? I thought you were going to change your thieving ways once you don't have a curse burdening you!"

"I didn't say a damn thing about changing my ways!" Mizuki hissed, lunging for the dagger again. "Stop being a pest, Morrel!"

"You stop it!" Morrel argued, grabbing Mizuki and trying to wrestle her away from the antique. He cried out as Mizuki's right arm manifested, the limb and arm growing huge and black. Morrel was thrown to the floor from the rapid expansion, and Mizuki slammed her talons into the wooden floor in anger, breathing hard. "Don't tell me how to live, Morrel!" Mizuki growled, claws digging into the wooden floor.

"I-I..." Morrel stuttered, then bolted to his feet. "Mizuki, come on, I..."

"Here you are. Several days' worth of provisions," the servant announced, coming back up the stairs with two large knapsacks. "Oboro wishes you... oh my word!"

The servant gawked and dropped the two knapsacks at the sight of Mizuki's huge cursed arm. He cowered, raising his hands to his face. "You're a cursed servant of the kami! P-please, take what you want! J-just don't give my lord Oboro any trouble! Get out of here, cursed one! You are not wanted here! Begone!"

Howling in anger, Mizuki smashed her cursed hand against the wall, cracking it. She stormed out of the open front door, arm poised. Morrel thanked the servant for the supplies and took both knapsacks, chasing after Mizuki as fast as he could. He followed her across the damp but solid ground, pushing through small trees and thickets of the tall wooden plants. The sky overhead was finally clear and blue, the sun shining brightly. The Sokenzan Mountains stood tall in the near distance, easily less than a day's walk away.

Morrel found Mizuki sitting on a fallen log, legs tucked up and her head at her knees. Her right arm was back to normal, so Morrel sat on the log next to her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

With a sigh, Mizuki raised her head and looked at Morrel. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got carried away, and reminded why we're on this quest in the first place. Well, now you see why no one likes me, huh? I can never resist making trouble."

_You can always make an effort to change yourself, _Morrel thought, but he didn't think Mizuki would be convinced. Instead, he offered, "This isn't going to last much longer, Mizuki. We're going to find that kami, kill it for good, and you can figure out what to do with your life, one way or another. Let's just take this one step at a time, okay? Focus."

"I... I guess," Mizuki figured, lowering her chin onto her knees, staring straight ahead. "Morrel, do you think I'm a bad person? I steal, I con others, I even hurt and maim those who anger me or get in my way. It's the way I survive... but I wonder how much longer I can keep it up."

"Getting your normal life back is worth the trouble. I promise," Morrel placated her. "Yeah, it'll probably be tough to go from your feral lifestyle to a regular life again, but you'll find a way. Aren't you supposed to be tough and self-sufficient?"

"What, are you doubting it?" Mizuki growled.

"No!" Morrel jumped, trying to calm her. "I'm just... oh, whatever. Let's get going, okay? We can talk on the way to the mountains. It won't be much longer."

Mizuki got to her feet. "We don't have to talk. I've just got some thinking to do," she said, starting off and gesturing for Morrel to follow. Her bare feet squelched on the damp ground, already getting dirty again. "I'm amazed you still want to follow me around and help. Most other people would have given up."

Morrel couldn't help a fierce grin. "You'd be surprised how stubborn I can be, especially when helping others."

"Oh, I'll just bet," Mizuki commented.

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel guessed that as he and Mizuki got closer to the mountains, the dangerous creatures would thin out. It turned out that his hunch was right, and the semi-firm swamp ground yielded to the tough, grassy soils and rocky hills of the Sokenzan Mountains' base. As they started to mount the mountains' base, they encountered a squad of samurai riding white horses.

"Who be you?" one of the samurai asked, hefting a bow and arrow. The other samurai, who were also archers, poised their bows and arrows.

"We're on a quest," Morrel told them firmly. "We seek a powerful kami steeped in black mana. Its death will go a long way toward my friend's cause."

The archer blinked in surprise. "Is that so?" he asked. "My battalion seeks a route over the mountains to find a powerful black kami that has been terrorizing these parts for some time. All he local warlords are begging us to slay it. Perhaps your cause and my commander's cause are much the same. Follow us."

Excited, Morrel and Mizuki followed the archer cavalry who walked their horses at a leisurely pace. After some time, they came across a camp of many samurai and a few battle mages a little higher up on the mountain. The commander approached Mizuki and Morrel, a hard expression on his leathery, scarred face.

"What is this? Why are stray travelers here in my camp?" he demanded. He gripped the hilt of his sword, his dark red armor clanking.

"My friend and I are on a quest to slay the powerful kami," Morrel explained quickly, nervous around this tough samurai commander. "We are capable warriors and wish to aid you. Slaying this beast was our intent from the start, and we share a common interest."

The commander samurai huffed and folded his arms. "No one is going to reach that kami until my kami tamers are found and returned to me! Otherwise, these peaks cannot be traversed."

Morrel's heart sank and Mizuki asked the question burning in his mind. "What do you mean?"

The commander looked impatient. "What I mean is, many ogres and red kami live here and it's not safe to assault the other side of the mountains until I have my tamers back! I need them to seize control of a large kami, preferably a mountain centipede, to ride upon and reach the other side. But they went missing a few days ago and still haven't been found."

Morrel didn't have much background information, but he could tell what the problem was. _These mountains aren't safe for the samurai to cross until they can use these "tamers" to control a large kami and use it as a transport across the mountains. Once that's been done, everyone can find the kami and kill it, and my quest is complete._

"So, I need you two to stay here, under watch, until my scouts come back," the commander told them. "I am Tai-sa Chodama, a commander under General Takeno. This kami has been a bane for years, rampaging across the land as though searching for something, killing and destroying whatever lies in its path. No more!"

Morrel wasn't sure what to make of this last bit of information, but he decided to worry about it later. He and Mizuki settled into the samurai camp and waited until Chodama's scouts returned, and when they did return, their news was most disturbing.

"We have located the missing tamers, Tai-sa!" one of them reported gleefully. Morrel and Mizuki perked, interested by this news. "Our detection spells failed to pick them up from the warlord Jugin-Maro's castle, so we went to the last warlord castle in the hopes that the lord had captured the kami tamers for his own use. We detected them from afar, scanning the interior of the whole castle. The tamers are tied and gagged in the storage room on the ground floor."

A determined smile crossed Chodama's hardened face. "Yes? And what is the name of this warlord?"

The scout swallowed. "Oboro."

*o*o*o*o*

On a dark, windswept cliff on a faraway land, three people stood before a shining wall of magic that floated suspended in the air. On this sheet of magic, one could see the actions of two people, a boy and a girl, while they lingered in a samurai camp in Kamigawa's mountains. The middle person in the group, a man, closely watched the presentation on his scry-spell, squinting in concentration.

"So? Are we going to have some fun with them now?" one of the three people asked, a young woman. With an excited smile, she cocked her head to the side and brandished a hissing whip of pure blue and white mana, lashing it on the ground in impatience. Her black hair was bound in a long ponytail, and her leather armor bared her midriff and shoulders. Her arms were bare, her whole body hinting at great flexibility and strength. Her feet shuffled restlessly on the cliff's grass in her tall boots.

The man glanced away from the magic field at the woman. "Be calm, Maretta. This is not an operation where we should rush in recklessly."

"Why not? If that boy and girl are dead, and the samurai too, then we can get in without any resistance," the third person of the group insisted in his deep, powerful voice. As a Vedalken, he was tall and slight, with a tall head and a heavy brow. Four arms folded across his chest and his thick leather armor vest. Four swords, two short and two long, were sheathed and held at his waist, one long and one short at each side.

"Because, Rohkan, manipulation and craftiness are our greatest strengths," the man told his Vedalken ally. "I have many servants across the Planes, this black kami being one of them. I don't want to draw any more attention to it. It will find what I seek and we will be done with it."

"One of the four pieces of your precious Sphere, huh, Azrael?" Maretta teased him, lashing her mana whip on the ground again, making sparks spit from the ground.

"Stop that!" Rohkan barked, annoyed at the whip's constant movement.

"Yeah? Why should I?" Maretta taunted him, making Rohkan grip his four swords' hilts tightly.

"Rohkan, Maretta, calm down," Azrael cut the impending argument short. "My kami servant has been searching for years and has finally drawn close to a Sphere fragment. I don't want anything to go wrong now. But still..." he glanced at Maretta. "If I demand it, go to the Kamigawa Plane and stop that boy and girl, Morrel and Mizuki. They don't even know what they're getting themselves into! They could be trouble."

Maretta's whip lashed the ground yet again, harder this time as she smiled excitedly. "Please, oh please let me go now, Azrael? I really want to see if those two can put up a good fight. I love to play with new victims."

"If the situation calls for it. Rohkan, stay with me for now," Azrael told his other ally. The Vedalken nodded curtly and lowered his arms by his side. He squinted at Azrael, the human whom he followed. Azrael wore silver armor over black clothing, and the man's red cape mirrored his long red hair. Azrael's dark brown eyes watched the magic vision, his princely face scrunched slightly in concentration. _Now I find out whether my judgment was correct, _Rohkan thought. _You promised me power and wisdom in return for my loyalty, Azrael, and you are the only one who can make me worth something in this unforgiving Multiverse. Do not let me down._

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Samurai Enforcers, Swamp (Jim Nelson), Takeno's Cavalry, Mountain (John Avon)**


	6. Chapter 6

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 6**

Morrel didn't blame Tai-sa Chodama for sending a number of raiders with him and Mizuki on a mission to recover the captured kami tamers. After all, those tamers were apparently very important for Chodama's assault force, and he couldn't take risks with outsider help. After seeing a demonstration of power from Morrel and Mizuki, and getting their oath of allegiance, Chodama agreed to let Morrel and Mizuki help him out. Still, as Morrel rode along the nighttime Kamigawa wilderness on a loaned war-horse, his sense of unease deepened along the way back to Oboro's castle.

_Warlord Oboro was a kind and graceful man to rescue Mizuki and I from the swamp and bring us back to health and full strength, _Morrel grumbled in his head. His horse leaped over a cluster of rocks at the base of the Sokenzan Mountains. _And his servant even gave Mizuki and I supplies for the road ahead! Now I found out that he's a kidnapper? _Morrel's mind flashed back to the servant's refusal to let Morrel go into the storage room with him, and Morrel gripped his horse's reigns tightly in frustration. _What the hell is going on? I'm with Mizuki on this one – I'd simply like to get what we want without delay, and see this quest through._

Morrel thought deeply and murmured a few verses for patience and strength, lines that he head learned as a youngster back at the Akrasa castle. Many evenings of his youth had been spent listening to elderly teachers or reading old books by torch light, learning the ways of honor, virtue, and tradition as a steadfast subject of the Akrasan King, Ledram. Comforted by familiar thoughts from back home, Morrel felt his mental tension unwind as he and the others streaked across the rough, star-lit terrain back toward Oboro's swamp castle.

"We're close. Slow down to avoid detection," the man in charge ordered, tugging on his horse's reigns. The animal grunted and slowed down to a trot, and the other horses slowed down to keep pace. Morrel pushed his glasses back up to a comfortable position and squinted through the swamp's smelly fog to find the castle, but it didn't show up just yet.

"Think any kami might come along?" Morrel muttered to Mizuki, drifting his horse toward hers.

"If they do, I'll turn them inside-out without a second thought," Mizuki growled, flexing her right hand's fingers like claws. Morrel gulped and stared ahead, hoping that Oboro's castle would hurry up and appear.

After rounding a thicket of the tall wooden plants, which Morrel found out was called bamboo, a welcome sight appeared: the multi-layered, brick-and-wood castle of warlord Oboro. The squad leader came to a halt, scoping the terrain. Morrel didn't know what to expect, but then he heard the clank of armor and tensed up once again. From the thickets of bamboo came a squad of heavily-armored samurai warriors, definitely the same type Morrel had seen at the castle earlier. The warriors were clearly patrolling as though expecting danger, but Morrel's group stayed in the shadows and the samurai marched past without detecting them.

"Go!" the squad leader hissed, and everyone dismounted their horses and raced across the swampy earth to the castle. Then, the squad leader leaped through a window on the ground floor and everyone followed him, landing softly on the wooden floor.

The squad leader hesitated, pointing at Morrel. "You are known as Morrel, correct?"

"Yes," Morrel nodded. "What is it?"

"You have been here before, haven't you, Morrel?"

"Yeah..."

"Then hurry and show me where the storage room is! We can't afford to delay. The scouts didn't provide a layout of the castle. The scouts were needed back at camp."

"Fine, follow me," Morrel grumbled, straining his eyes in the dark. He heard the samurai squadron patrolling nearby outside, the clanks of their armor seeming way too loud. So, Morrel took point and led everyone through the halls, navigating to the main hall with all of its ornamental swords and shields. Now in a familiar place, Morrel led the group over to the wide door that the servant had gone through, but the door refused to yield.

Morrel motioned. "It's locked, but I can handle it." Taking a deep breath, Morrel pressed his hands together and breathed, "Beasts of burden, birds of flight, trees of fruit, gardens of flowers, nature does not tolerate artifice in her bosom!"

Green magic glowed in Morrel's palms, and he pressed his hands to the door handle and grinned in victory as the naturalizing magic corroded the metal handle, lock, and inner mechanisms. Morrel easily pushed open the wooden door and started down the wooden steps, and everyone quickly followed suit. They found themselves in the lowest section of the ground floor, since the castle was built on uneven ground; the storage room was lower down than the front lobby. At any rate, Morrel found a few candles along the walls and after a little concentration, focused a little red mana on each one and lit the candles to provide light.

_I'm glad I gained red mana from the Jund invaders, _Morrel thought, still unsure just how he had acquired outsider magic so easily. Maybe he was just talented. Still, with the light, Morrel beheld a dozen men and women crowded at the corner, each one garbed in bright red robes with gold trim, and the candlelight reflected in their eyes. "Are you here to retrieve us?" a man asked, his narrow eyes widening with hope.

"Yeah. Tai-sa Chodama sent us, because you're needed in order to storm the kami-held Sokenzan Mountains," Morrel said, approaching them. "Come with us, and you'll be free. I can't believe Oboro would just kidnap people like that! I thought he was a good man."

"He _is _a good man," a female tamer argued, stepping forward. "He needs us, boy. We can't afford to go just yet!"

"But why not?" Morrel protested.

"We have no time for this, Morrel. Let's go before we're caught," Mizuki cut in, but Morrel shook his head. "I want to know what's going on here," he insisted.

The woman wrung her hands. "Oboro's forces recently slew a major kami, and its former followers and their new leader are sure to storm his castle and slaughter everyone in it! There are hundreds of innocent people here. Oboro captured us because he can use our skills to defeat the kami he's certain will come. Otherwise, his people will be slaughtered."

Morrel's eyes widened, the situation completely reversing itself in his mind. "Wh-what? When will this kami assault happen?"

"Either tonight or the night after," the woman said nervously. "These are fellow humans! We can return to Chodama after we've helped Oboro. We... we don't like getting kidnapped, but if us humans callously abandon each other, then what chance do we have in this war against the kami?"

"Chodama's assault can wait a few days. Oboro doesn't have that kind of time," another tamer added, fire in his eyes. "I've seen too many warlords fall to the vile kami because others are too afraid to help, to make a stand for humanity! This is our chance to prove ourselves."

Mizuki chewed on her lips in thought, then marched to the man and tugged roughly on his wrist, dragging him toward the stairs. "Don't give me that crap, old man! You were kidnapped and we're here to haul you people back to where you belong. What does some random warlord have to do with you?"

"But..." the woman protested.

Mizuki grunted in irritation. "Don't you get it? Chodama has a large army and you can certainly help them achieve victory. But, if you people stay with this puny warlord, you'll die for nothing. Don't be idiots."

Snapping, Morrel grabbed Mizuki's wrist and freed the man. "Stop it, Mizuki. Don't you remember? We'd have died of that kami's toxins in the swamp muck, alone and forgotten if warlord Oboro hadn't helped us! There are hundreds of innocents here and they need help! Chodama can wait, as said before."

"Damn Oboro and his swamp shack," Mizuki growled, jabbing a finger into Morrel's gut as Chodama's squad force watched in curiosity. "How many times have I told you? We're here for _our _quest – my salvation, your chance to prove your strength or whatever you came for. Oboro is not our problem! Neither are any number of innocent people."

"We owe Oboro a debt of gratitude! Without him, we'd be dead. Didn't you hear me?" Morrel glowered, not backing down as he met Mizuki's hard glare. He lowered her hand with his own, heart pounding. "If we abandon him in his time of need, what does that make us? Monsters who accepted his good grace then left him to die!"

"What's wrong with that?" Mizuki sneered.

"Everything," Morrel said firmly. "I won't let you do this, Mizuki. I won't let you be the ungrateful, selfish monster you tend to be!"

Howling, Mizuki reached out to slap Morrel, but her right arm suddenly expanded into its huge, cursed form. Morrel cried out as the arm shot forward, and he was slammed against the storage room wall and pinned there by Mizuki's giant hand. He strained to breathe as Mizuki put her face close to him, ignoring the shocked comments of the tamers and squad forces.

"Don't you dare lecture me, you deluded weirdo!" Mizuki hissed, rage clear on her face. "We came for one mission only, and I won't let your high-and-mighty ideals compromise that. Hey!" She turned to the others.

"Wh-what is it?" the squad leader yelped, stiffening his back.

"We're going," Mizuki told him. "Forget what my friend here says. This mission is about to be complete. Tai-sa Chodama is waiting for us."

The others nodded and went back up the stairs in a single-file line, then Mizuki mightily threw Morrel to the storage room floor with her giant hand. He tumbled to a halt, shocked. His glasses fell of his face.

"Either come, or don't," Mizuki told him. "We're gonna go. You in?"

"Y-yeah, sure. I'm not getting discarded so easily," Morrel responded, getting his glasses back on and standing back up, aching. He felt mingled rage, confusion, and regret bubble up in his gut, but he had to admit that Mizuki had a point: it was easiest and most beneficial simply to go back to Chodama's mountain camp with the tamers intact, but he knew that his moral debates with Mizuki wouldn't end just yet.

Mizuki shrank down her right arm back to normal and led him back up the stairs, but Morrel found himself troubled by something. He had certainly been alarmed by Mizuki's cursed arm manifesting, but she had seemed equally startled. She had certainly caught on and used her giant arm to trap Morrel, but he got a strange feeling about it. _Can she not even fully control her arm? It seems that she's used to it manifesting at random, but still... I don't get it. Killing that kami had better lift the curse!_

As Morrel took up the rear of the group while everyone slipped outside the castle, Morrel realized another potential problem. _Mizuki and I still aren't on the same page when it comes to respect and helping others. That last scuffle... I don't want a repeat of that. If we don't slay that kami soon, we could come to blows! _His gut squirmed. _Why do I get the feeling that I'd be missing out on a great friend?_

"Mount up. Tamers, ride behind everyone else and hang on tight," the lead raider ordered, mounting his own horse. Once Morrel, Mizuki, and the other raiders got onto their horses, the tamers readily got onto the saddles behind the riders, eager to be off.

Morrel only watched the swampy, star-lit terrain ahead of him, but his mind continued to whirl with confused thoughts about his and Mizuki's partnership. He couldn't help a heavy sense of betrayal toward Oboro, the warlord who had rescued him. Still... Oboro had apparently kidnapped these kami tamers for his own use against the marauding kami of the swamp. To take his mind off the matter, he looked over his shoulder and asked the female tamer behind him, "No one ever told me... how does kami taming work?"

The tamer explained gently, "Some folk are born with a strong spiritual connection to the natural world and all its living things and spirits, and if trained properly, we can manipulate those spirits. We can speak to them, understand them, and often, control them. It is difficult and some are able to master it more thoroughly than others, but that is the core concept."

"Most interesting," Morrel nodded, trying to think of an analogue from his home, Bant. "I can't help but feel bad that we're leaving Oboro nearly defenseless against the kami, though. Back in the castle's storage room, you said that Oboro and his men were fellow humans, right? I feel the same way."

"Yes," the woman nodded, lowering her eyes. "Fighting this war against the kami is taking a heavy toll on everyone and forcing great leaders to make decisions that cost many people their lives. You and your friend, and Tai-sa Chodama too, are doing what you can, and making the best possible decision for your people. I understand and have have no hate for your decision to leave Oboro behind."

"Thanks," Morrel felt humbled by the woman's understanding. _Argh, forget it. I can sort out selfish vs. selfless some other time. I've been tormenting myself over it ever since I got here. It's easy from here on out. Kill that kami, job done. _He took a deep, reassuring breath and focused on the terrain ahead.

There was only a brief shuffle through the swamp foliage to herald a new arrival. The raider leader cried out and his horse whinnied and reared up, hooves slashing through the humid smelly air. The other horses similarly poised themselves just as a number of dark shapes burst from the gloom and let out terrifying shrieks.

"Is it the kami?" Morrel shouted as he hung on tight to his horse's reigns and his tamer passenger gripped his torso tight for stability.

"Yes. And a lot of them!" the tamer cried back, fear heavy in her voice. The kami lashed out, their claws and tentacles, threatening to impale the horses and topple them. The raid leader spurred his horse on, leading everyone to outrace the marauding kami and make a break for the Sokenzan Mountains. Heart suddenly hammering, Morrel clenched his teeth and kept pace with the leader, but the kami were catching up. Then, from up ahead, another cluster of kami appeared, forming a wall that trapped the raiders between them and the first group.

The raid leader brought his horse to a halt, breathing hard. "Unless you all want to die, we've got to get to work! Tamers, do your stuff! Oboro's castle is closer than Tai-sa Chodama's camp. We need to fall back! Looks like we have to ally with out fellow humans after all."

_How about that? The kami launched their attack coming tonight after all! _Morrel thought, tensing for battle. The kami all lunged, claws outstretched for the kill. Some of them regurgitated waves of corrosive bile and acid, the horses barely squirming out of the way. Other kami floated in the air, lunging and slashing with their claws. One such kami drew close to Morrel, a strange lizard-creature with two tails but no legs. Green spheres of mana floated around it, proof of its divine essence as Morrel had come to learn. The beast flashed its many sharp teeth, shrieking as it lunged with its claws. Plunging his hands into his cloak, Morrel whipped his arms out and impaled the kami with a pair of knives, the weapons thudding into its chest. The kami hissed in rage, and Morrel clapped his hands together, fueling red mana into the knives. With a vivid red flash, the two knives exploded with fire, blasting the kami to embers. Morrel's horse reared up and whinnied from terror, and the tamer behind Morrel clung even tighter for safety.

One of the horses shrieked as a salamander-like kami wrenched it to the swamp muck, slobbering corrosive saliva from its wide mouth. The horse dissolved down to the bones, and the rider and tamer scrambled off its back just in time to avoid getting corroded. They scrambled to their feet, but before they could get far, a lizard-kami swooped down and slashed them to bloody pieces.

"Get it together! Do it, tamers!" the raid leader roared. He had drawn his sword and deflected the claws of a lizard-kami with a loud clang. The surviving tamers clapped their hands together and chanted a few words, then raised their hands. Gold mana streams flowed from their hands, reaching through the air like ethereal snakes. The nearest kami to the golden strands flinched as the gold mana latched onto their backs like leashes. The tamed kami suddenly moved somewhat awkwardly, their bodies guided by the tamers' will. The tamed kami turned on their fellows, keeping the tamers safe and buying time for the riders to regroup.

"Back to the castle, let's go!" the raider leader roared as even more kami sprouted from the swamp muck here and there in the near distance. The raiders went on full gallop back to Oboro's castle, the tamers keeping their pet kami close and keeping pace. Along the way, Mizuki drifted her horse closer to Morrel's. "I guess you get your way after all!" she commented.

"Yeah. And if we survive this, I'll be happy about it!" Morrel gritted, aware of the streams of acid bile and spheres of destructive kami energy filling the air as the creatures kept up the pursuit. Oboro's huge, multi-level castle came back into view, and at least a hundred samurai warriors had by now deployed across the grounds, fighting off dozens of kami. Archers stood on the rooftops, drawing back their bows and launching flights of arrows at the kami invaders. The samurai held their own, but they were getting worn out quickly from the superior strength of the kami and there were many more of them on the way, chasing the raider group.

The tamed kami fought a little sluggishly, leading Morrel to suspect that the link between human and kami wasn't perfect. Still, they amazed Morrel with their timing and ingenuity despite the probably complexities of taming. Whenever a samurai was nearly slain by a kami, a tamer would leash that kami to make it halt its attack and give the samurai a chance to strike back, silver katanas gouging into kami flesh. The archers covered for the samurai whenever the tamers weren't there to help, their aim impeccable. Morrel vaulted and leaped through the battlefield, his martial arts and knives taking down one kami after another. Mizuki, too, slew many of the creatures with her giant cursed hand, not even needing her tentacles of black mana. But still...

_These are just the small fry, _Morrel realized, his body growing more and more tired. He dodged the lunge of a bile kami, then slammed its head into the swamp muck and twisted its neck, breaking it. _And some of us have already gone down. Unless we can get a boost in strength somehow, the kami might..._

"Alert! Siege-maw kami up ahead!" roared the samurai commander, a samurai clad in dark blue armor, galloping forward on his chestnut horse. He jabbed his large silver katana in a certain direction, where Morrel saw movement in the swamp gloom.

"What's that?" Morrel panted to the commander, approaching the man's horse.

"You do not know?" the commander huffed. "Siege-maw kami are behemoths of the Takenuma Swamp that can use their hardened beaks to topple human structures, even reinforced stone temples. If that thing gets close to Oboro-_sama_'s castle, things are about to get nasty."

Morrel offered an encouraging salute. "But you won't let that happen, right?"

"I am a hand of honor, Oboro-_sama_'s first and last line of defense," the commander said firmly, examining his kami blood-stained sword as the battle raged around him. "This blade guards my life and that of Oboro-_sama_! I, Shou-sa Takaimo, will see this siege to its end."

"A warrior's lifeline is usually his weapon," Morrel observed.

"No," Shou-sa Takaimo shook his head. "The sword is just a tool. It is the samurai's hand that brings it to life. What good is a weapon in unworthy hands?"

The siege-maw kami, whatever it was, drew closer to the castle through the swamp muck, a giant shape whose great bulk sloshed noisily through the swampy waters. Morrel tensed for combat, but he couldn't help but notice something. "I have heard that quote before, in my homeland. It is great wisdom."

"Agreed," Shou-sa Takaimo nodded. "Now, warrior, prepare! The siege-maw kami has some escorts."

The surviving samurai, tamers, and archers beheld a number of moderate-strength kami rushing onto the battlefield, including several Akuba. Morrel shuddered as he remembered what the last Akuba had done to him and Mizuki, and he dreaded what its master, the siege-maw kami, could do. He found Mizuki, who was wrestling with a floating lizard-kami, its jaws clamped on her cursed hand. With a grunt and heave, Mizuki wrenched the kami off her hand and gouged its flesh with her giant white claws, slaying it on the spot.

"What can you tell me about siege-maw kami? Any strategy you know of?" Morrel asked her quickly.

Mizuki brushed her sweaty black hair behind her head with her normal hand. "My usual strategy is to run the hell away and let others do the dying," she admitted. "But this time, we're surrounded. You're not scared, are you, Morrel?"

"I – not at all," Morrel argued, annoyed by Mizuki's smirk and playful eyes. He got the feeling that she was still angry about having to fight someone else's battle, but she hid it well. Meanwhile, the siege-maw kami emerged under the moonlight, its great bulk visible at last. Over twelve feet in diameter and nearly a hundred long, the snake-like beast had a number of linked, ring-like gray plates over its body as armor, and it reared up like a cobra about to strike. Over its forehead and under its jaw were two pieces of a huge greenish beak, the kami's glowing white eyes blazing with rage from between the beak halves.

Then, as the Akuba and other kami renewed their assault, the siege-maw kami got to work. Roaring its bloodlust, the creature snapped closed its beak halves like jaws, covering its eyes and face. It slithered forward a little, then jabbed forward like a striking snake, aiming right at the castle's upper levels.

The archers harassed the siege-maw kami with flights of their arrows, but the shafts only tickled the kami's armor as it charged. The castle's upper floors buckled and strained under the pressure of the kami's headbutt, then the kami drew back its head and charged again at the caved-in wooden walls. Huge shards of wood and mortar exploded into the thick night air as the siege-maw kami plowed its way in.

"Curse it! There has to be something we can do!" Morrel growled, watching helplessly as the kami did its work on the castle.

"Well..." Mizuki sounded thoughtful as she watched it. Morrel hurriedly looked back at her for answers. "Huh?" he demanded.

"Shut up! Thinking here!" Mizuki demanded, her eyes narrowed in thought. While she stood there, an Akuba lunged from behind her, claws poised to take her head off. Morrel shoved Mizuki to the side, raising his hands. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!"

The Akuba rumbled in confusion as its huge claws slammed down uselessly on the blue-gold shield. The Akuba strained against the shield, then shattered it and flashed its claws at Morrel. The Bant battlemage flowed himself around the creature's attack and seized its left arm, throwing it over his shoulder and down onto the swamp muck, toppling clumsily. Mizuki got to her feet and swung down with her cursed hand to kill the Akuba, but it spun in place, knocking Mizuki off her feet. Morrel quickly got out two of his knives, but then a bile kami got up behind him and seized his arms, hissing its foul breath into his ear.

"Watch yourselves!" Shou-sa Takaimo shouted, leaping off his horse and impaling the Akuba's heart with his sword. The Akuba lashed out with its long claws and its pointed finger was only a hair's breadth from Morrel's neck when Takaimo's sword strike ended the creature's struggle. The Akuba exhaled, falling limp. Morrel ducked forward, throwing the bile kami over his shoulders and wrenching its hands off of his arms. Mizuki reached out with her left hand, and two tentacles of her black magic impaled the bile kami in mid-air, killing it.

"Any progress on the siege-maw?" Morrel asked over the din of combat.

"Not even our exploding rounds can stop it entirely," Shou-sa Takaimo answered tightly, pointing. Morrel and Mizuki saw the night air lit up as the archers fired volleys of flaming arrows, the projectiles exploding brilliantly on the siege-maw kami's head. The kami rumbled and withdrew, but its armor plates were only lightly scorched from the arrow attacks. Samurai tried to hack at the armor plates where the creature's body rested on the ground, but they made no progress.

"Can't the tamers make it on our side?" Morrel roared as the siege-maw kami slammed into a new portion of the castle, wreaking havoc and raining rubble to the ground.

"No. Siege-maw kami are far too feral and aggressive for the touch of tamers," Shou-sa Takaimo answered. "Few have ever slain a siege-maw, and they always use different methods. We don't have the resources to try any of them, though. Those armor plates are too tough!"

Mizuki's eyes widened with inspiration. "Then hit it under the plates!"

"How can we do that, girl?" Shou-sa Takaimo demanded. "We can't pierce the plates with anything we've got!"

Morrel caught on. "We wrench up a plate and strike the kami's flesh while it's exposed," he added. "It's bound to work, Shou-sa. That creatures relies on its armor plates and brute strength to survive. If we keep it in place and wrench open a plate, that's our chance."

Shou-sa Takaimo chewed his lower lip. "What could we even use to wrench open a plate?"

Mizuki held up her cursed right arm and cracked a gleeful smile. "This. Just let me do my stuff!"

The siege-maw kami did its stuff first. The words barely left Mizuki's mouth when the kami decided to bump off the pests bothering it. Looking away from the damaged castle, the kami opened its two beak halves, its white eyes glowing with malice. It lowered its head and swept a wide arc across the battlefield, gouging into the soft swamp earth and sending samurai and kami alike flying through the air too high to survive the fall back to the ground. The archers loosed a flaming volley at the kami's exposed face, but in response it snapped closed its beak and let the arrows uselessly strike its plating.

"That's it," Morrel concluded, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles. "We distract it with an attack to the face, then go for a plate along its body."

Shou-sa Takaimo nodded. "I'll rally the men. Let's go!"

The minor kami scampered away from their huge ally, not wanting to get swept aside in its destructive moves. The tamers leashed several of them and tried to attack the siege-maw kami, but the huge kami merely ignored them and raised itself cobra-style again. It closed its beak and lashed out at the castle, shattering a roof section on the west wing. The whole castle groaned and swayed, dangerously close to collapsing entirely. Working fast, Morrel and Mizuki scampered to the battlefield's middle where most of their allies were. "Tamers! Leash some kami and attack the siege-maw's face when it decides to sweep again. Some of the rest of us will attack its main body."

"But that thing's indestructible!" a tamer cried, fear in his eyes.

Mizuki snapped, "Shut up and do it! We've got a plan, you blubbering baby."

The man winced at her unkind words, but he and the other tamers kept out of harm's way until the siege-maw kami decided to attack the pesky humans harassing it again. Once again, it split open its halved beak to see where it was going, then flopped onto its belly and swept across the battlefield like a living tidal wave. Humans and kami were sent flying, but this time the human side was ready. As the siege-maw kami slowed down at the end of its sweep, the tamers sent their leashed kami after the siege-maw's exposed face, the leashed kami charging in with their claws. The siege-maw shrieked as its face was gouged by dozens of claws, then it jerked back and snapped its beak shut, cutting several tamed kami in half.

Mizuki took her chance. Vaulting over the clashing samurai and kami, she leaped onto the siege-maw kami's back and seized one of its armor plates, her giant hand straining to lift the organic armor. Morrel and a cluster of samurai hurried over to help, shielding Mizuki from a gang of kami coming to defend their master. Samurai katanas flashed through the air, struggling against the claws and death-spells of the kami. Morrel kicked away a bile-spitter and leaped onto the siege-maw kami's back with Mizuki, kneeling on a plate of armor.

"Think you could help?" Mizuki strained, trying to pull an armor plate up to expose the flesh. The armor plate was barely going up, and the siege-maw kami could feel the disturbance. It writhed and squirmed, and Mizuki had to kneel and seize the beast's plate with her other hand to hang on. Morrel frowned and muttered the verse for his naturalizing spell, but the green vapors only feebly corroded the plating.

"No good! My spell only works on metal and enchantments," Morrel growled, standing up again. Trying to keep his balance against the siege-maw's thrashing, Morrel grabbed Mizuki's plate and tried to help pry it off, and he started to see gray-green flesh underneath. Mizuki gave one last shove and moved the plate further, straining the fleshy tendons that kept it attached. Taking his chance, Morrel took one of his knives and thrust it into the flesh, then flooded red mana into the blade. With a burst of flames, the knife's detonation burned away at the kami's flesh and made the beast thrash even harder.

Mizuki wrenched the plate high enough to deal a serious blow, but then a pair of lizard-kami got behind her and slammed her hard with their claws, gouging Mizuki's body and sending her flying off the siege-maw's back, tumbling across the swamp surface. Morrel stood his ground and let the kami come, then hurled a knife into one of the kami's open mouths. The kami reeled and its friend lashed out, claws sharp. Morrel ducked under the attack and seized the beast's arms, arresting it in place. He thrust his booted foot up, kicking the creature far away. However, the other recovered and slapped Morrel with its tails, sending him painfully tumbling to the swampy earth.

"Hurry! We still have our chance!" Shou-sa Takaimo cried, raising his sword in the air to rally his samurai. "Strike the siege-maw's exposed flesh!"

The siege-maw kami rumbled, snapping closed its beak and lashing out with its whole body. Everyone was sent flying as the monster's worm-like body smacked into them, and Morrel, still stunned from the lizard-kami's blow, was hit hardest. His head jerked painfully to the side as he was hit, his ears ringing and his whole body aching badly. Almost numb, he sloppily tumbled across the swampy earth, barely able to move his limbs. _Damn it! Did we __lose our chance? _He forced his head up and wrinkled his nose to get his glasses back in place. Several of the samurai went down, but the others got past the kami and thrust their blades into the siege-maw's open flesh, making it squeal in agony.

Mizuki vaulted high into the air, landing unsteadily back at the open plate. Yelling in defiance, she thrust her cursed arm down and dug her five huge claws into the kami's flesh, pouring wisps of deadly black mana into her strike. The siege-maw kami split open its beak to roar its pain, then writhed to face away from the castle. Hissing in anger, it shot forward like a snake, making a hasty retreat from Oboro's castle. Blood poured in sheets from the wound and the whole kami's body trembled and rattled from the damage it had taken; clearly, the flesh under the armor plates was very sensitive indeed. The rest of the kami, losing their master and now outnumbered, turned and fled into the Takenuma Swamp's dark jungles.

Morrel gasped in exhaustion and stress, falling to his hands and knees, staring at the damp earth under him as his body shook. He still ached from multiple kami strikes and the siege-maw's powerful lashes, but he was alive, and so were eight of the ten kami tamers. After double-checking the perimeter, Shou-sa Takaimo and Mizuki approached Morrel.

"The castle is secure. I give my thanks to you both for what you have done," Takaimo intoned, sheathing his katana. His face was bruised and blood leaked down his left arm, but he was alive and well. "Everyone is being tended to for their wounds. Would you both like to stay at the castle tonight?"

"N... no," Morrel shook his head, standing back up. "Thank you too, Shou-sa, for helping keep Mizuki and I alive. We really need to get the tamers back to Tai-sa Chodama's camp, so we'll all get bandaged and be on our way."

Takaimo glanced at Mizuki, who nodded to Morrel's words. The samurai commander nodded and said, "Very well. I am sorry if the tamers were being held here against their commander's wishes and you both got dragged into this battle, but I was only following my lord's wishes. I will make sure Oboro understands."

_I haven't even seen Oboro in person, but everything I do here leads back to him, _Morrel commented in his head. He said, "That sounds fine with me. My friend and I will rest, bandage up, and ride back to Chodama's camp. We and the tamers need to be there at first light, if I've been told correctly."

"If I may ask... what is your interest in helping this Chodama?" Takaimo asked. He clearly had no allegiance or knowledge of Tai-sa Chodama.

Morrel shrugged. "His interests and that of my friend and I coincide, that's all."

"Well, I wish you luck. The Sokenzan Mountains can be most treacherous. Not only kami, but ogres and akki live there too," Takaimo cautioned him, then walked off to oversee the post-battle activities.

Morrel turned to Mizuki. "Akki?"

"Short man-creatures that are adept with mountain fighting," Mizuki said. "They're similar to the 'goblin' creatures of other Planes."

"Oh," Morrel said, sitting down on a fallen log. "Want to rest here?"

Mizuki sat by his side, her right arm back to normal. She was cut and bruised from the battle, but was otherwise fine. "We took down that siege-maw kami pretty good. Well, _I _did."

"Hey, I did some too!" Morrel defended himself. "And I helped Takaimo understand the details of our plan."

"I guess. Go ahead and flatter yourself," Mizuki pouted, folding her arms. "And this doesn't prove anything."

"What do you mean?"

"We saved Oboro's castle, but that's no gain for us. We just happened to encounter and defeat the kami bound for his castle," Mizuki said flatly. "No need to pat ourselves on the back."

Morrel resisted a laugh. "You're still hung up about that? Duty vs helping oneself?"

"Don't act like you're past it, either. Given the chance, you'd fight for Oboro again," Mizuki taunted him, a slight smile tugging on her lips. "I just know it. You'd do that."

"You think you know me that well?"

"I know your type, at least. I've seen plenty of selfless heroes who think they have something to prove. Often, they wind up disemboweled in a dark alley. Then I come along and take their wallets and run."

Morrel felt his stomach turn leaden. "That's not very encouraging."

"Relax, you're stronger than some of those other heroes."

"_Some?"_

"Well, I dunno. Either way, it looks like we're going to be on our way, as we should be." Mizuki stuck her legs out, flexing her bare toes.

"Sure, sure," Morrel figured, watching Mizuki's muddy toes flex. "And how come you never wear shoes? Or even straw sandals like these people of Kamigawa?"

Mizuki shrugged. "I dunno. Shoes feel tight on my feet and feel awkward when I run and jump over fences and rooftops. Keep in mind I do a lot of nimble moving as the thief and outlaw I am. Relying on my strong, unencumbered feet is best for that. Same for my hands." She flexed her toes a little more, and Morrel couldn't help but find it oddly charming.

*o*o*o*o*

The sun was nearly up, its first rays of light spreading over the bases of the Sokenzan Mountains. A number of horse-riders bound up a sloping path through the mountains, headed for a samurai commander's camp before making a siege on the kami living in the mountains. On a flat patch of rock, a woman appeared in a flash of blue and white mana, her booted feet landing lightly on the rough stone. The woman tossed her long black ponytail of hair, savoring the increasing warmth and light of these Kamigawa mountains.

_I just love sun and fresh air. Dungeons must be hell, _the woman stretched happily, reaching bare arms to the light blue sky. Her soft leather armor creaked ever so slightly as she produced a whip handle, a long lash of blue and white mana appearing from nowhere. The rocks hissed and sparked as the woman, Maretta, struck the stone playfully with her whip. _Azrael wants me to make the first move, huh? My pleasure! That Sphere shard should be around here somewhere._

The samurai's army would be an obstacle, but Maretta was prepared to use whatever methods needed to get past them, use Azrael's kami servant, and find that treasure. Indeed, there was a large black-mana kami somewhere in those mountains, which had spent the last several years looking for that Sphere shard for Azrael. And now, the shard was close at hand. Very close.

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **"Shou-sa" and "Tai-sa" are Japanese military ranks, Major and Colonel respectively. Also, whenever a creature appears without a card source, assume that I invented it, like the siege-maw kami. I'd love to see a card created for it, though!

**Cards in this chapter... Swamp (Jim Nelson), Samurai Enforcers, Naturalize, Gibbering Kami, Bile Urchin, Hand of Honor, Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Mountain (John Avon)**


	7. Chapter 7

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 7**

Steel-gray clouds gathered overhead as Tai-sa Chodama's army set out across the Sokenzan Mountain range, the samurai, cavaliers, and kami tamers all keeping vigil for an enemy ambush as they went. Morrel and Mizuki stayed near the head of the procession, both riding horses near Chodama's armored mount.

"You both have my thanks, Mizuki-_san_, Morrel-_san_," Chodama told them briskly, glancing back at them. He wore a horned red helmet over his black hair, hiding his samurai hair knot. "My tamers will be essential for taking down our target, and retrieving them was a lot to ask for two outsiders."

"It was nothing," Morrel said humbly, dipping his head. "We're allies. It was only natural to help." _All that hard work had better pay off!_

Chodama nodded his approval. "Good. Now, we are nearing our target's approximate range. We can't cross these peaks unless we have the proper mount, but my tamers are ready to change that."

"Oh, yeah?" Mizuki wondered, and Chodama motioned to halt the procession. He motioned with an armored hand and the tamers split from the army, clustering together in a particular formation. At once, they clapped their hands together and murmured a chant, golden mana glowing to life at the men's and women's hands. Morrel watched with curiosity. _Back at Oboro's castle, they leashed kami with their taming magic, but I don't see any kami here. Just how will – by the angels' grace!_

Morrel's horse, indeed most of the horses, snorted and reared up in alarm as the rocky surface of the mountains cracked and crumbled. A great force from within started to shove its way out, and Morrel's jaw dropped as a monstrous worm creature emerged from the mountain rock, its armored head a similar color to the reddish-gray stone. In fact, the creature's whole body had the same color scheme, with a hard gray back and a dark red belly. Its worm-like nature became apparent as it continued to emerge, settling onto the rocky surface and stretching out for hundreds of meters. Its whole body was protected by a thick, rough carapace, and several green mana orbs floated around its head, an indicator of its kami divinity.

"You know, that thing looks like a siege-maw kami," Mizuki commented, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the huge kami. She tried to sound casual but Morrel could hear the awe in her voice.

"This is a mountain crawler kami," Chodama explained as the kami fully emerged, snapping open its beak-head. "It is related to the siege-maw kami, but usually lives underground and, as you can see, is much larger."

"How... how can anyone possibly control or tame it?" Morrel cried indignantly. "I saw that siege-maw kami's ferocity and what it was capable of. This is on a whole different level!"

"For clarity, Morrel-_san_," Chodama said, "Mountain crawlers are of a much calmer disposition than siege-maws, and they can be guided by groups of tamers working together. This beast shall be our ferry across the mountains, and make a fine mount into battle."

The mountain crawler kami opened its beak wide, its glowing yellow eyes like two sentient suns. The monster rumbled at the sight of so many humans but otherwise made no reaction. Morrel was led along with everyone else up the creature's back, able to use its tail as a ramp. From up here, Morrel still couldn't see the other side of the mountain, but he had no doubt that this creature would do its job well.

"Whoa!" Morrel yelped as the crawler lurched into motion. As soon as everyone settled down and grabbed a hold on the kami's plate edges, the crawler wriggled forward like a startled snake making a break for cover. Morrel hung on for dear life as air whooshed past his face from the speed, and the crawler swiftly but expertly navigated the rugged mountain range, leaving the horses far behind. Mizuki whooped her elation, excited by the kami's speed.

"How can you find this fun?" Morrel shouted to her over the wind, praying frantically to not get thrown off and splattered on a rock.

"How can you not?" Mizuki responded, a wide grin on her face as she laughed. "This is the best thing we've done yet!"

Morrel had to fight to keep his breakfast down as the mountain crawler kami slithered higher up the mountain range, then it bent its body and started to crawl down the other side of the mountain range. Morrel beheld a vista of plains, hills, and forests beyond the mountains, a sprawling natural landscape that awed him with its beauty. A number of large towns dotted the landscape, too distant for Morrel to view the inhabitants just yet.

Then trouble came.

The mountain range itself seemed to come to life, with glowing red lava starting to ooze from the crags like hot blood. A few of Chodama's warriors turned and saw the sudden calamity, raising the alarm. They could do nothing, however, as the lava bubbled and seeped further across the rock, and then a number of bulky shapes began to emerge. Morrel squinted for a closer look, and he thought he saw rocky tentacles slither up and out of the raging lava. _Wait. Those _are _tentacles! Is it an elemental? _Morrel wondered, but then he saw a number of lumpy heads emerge, each gnashing a pair of jaws. The tentacles belonged to the assorted lava-creatures that seemed at home on the molten rock.

Morrel nervously tugged on Mizuki's sleeve. "Are those kami?"

She glanced at the emerging beasts. "Yeah. They're the souls of magma. Get your shield spell ready. I don't think they appreciate the intrusion."

"What -" Morrel gulped, then he felt a thrill of awe as the magma kami flailed their tentacles in the air, catapulting dozens of globs of hot lava at the mountain crawler kami. The crawler paid little attention as globs of lava exploded on its ultra-thick hide, but Chodama's men cowered from the onslaught, a few of them getting vaporized or knocked off the crawler's back. Morrel felt the air heat up as he quickly recited the incantation for his Hindering Light spell, and both he and Mizuki hid under the gold-blue shield like an umbrella against the lava onslaught.

At the crawler's head, Chodama stood and thrust his great sword toward the towns down below. "Be strong and brave!" he roared over the wind and explosions of lava. "The kami we seek must not be far. We will endure!"

_We had better! _Morrel thought as the mountain crawler slithered down the side of the mountains, toward the forested lands below. He winced as several more of Chodama's men were liquidated by the magma kami, but he pumped more mana into his shield and it endured the next several lava globs that hit it. Mizuki manifested her right arm's curse and clung to the mountain crawler's plates with her giant claws.

Then, just as the mountain crawler slipped out of range of the souls of magma, the crawler squealed and buckled on the rock. Leaning over the beast's edge, Morrel saw cracks and fissures crumbling the mountain slopes underneath, an unknown agent collapsing the rock from underneath. The crawler slowed down as its plates got caught on rocky fragments, and a number of new kami from under the rock suddenly emerged. They had lumpy gray bodies with many clawed arms on their backs, and each one was in a frenzy to tunnel right under the mountains' surfaces and destabilize the crawler's progress. The crawler rumbled in anger as it tried to slither its hard body through the rough, jagged field that the gorgers had created.

"And that type?" Morrel asked Mizuki.

She folded her arms and pursed her lips. "I swear, Morrel, you think I'm your tireless tour guide. You can see what kind of creature that is! A tunneler that lives in mountain ranges. The kami here are showing a lot of coordination. That could only happen if they had a great leader nearby. Something like..." Her narrow eyes widened.

"The kami we seek?" Morrel finished grimly.

"Tai-sa! We're sensing a powerful kami presence nearby!" a tamer roared to Chodama. "It must be the target! It's near the closest town!"

"Then take us there! No delays, no hesitation!" Chodama ordered. Morrel dissipated his Hindering Light shield as the mountain crawler surged down the rest of the mountain base and toward the edge of the thick, rough forest below. Flames rose from the large wooden buildings of the town, and Morrel heard the thousands of screams of fleeing citizens among the roars of marauding kami. Now out of range of the magma kami and the gorgers, the mountain crawler kami was guided by the tamers, settling by the town and letting everyone rush off its back, down its tail, and to the forest floor.

Careful not to stray from Chodama's men, Morrel and Mizuki waded through the forest as the samurai and tamers took on the kami, searching for their target. A number of branch-like creatures pounced on their prey, each one with two wooden arms and moss on their backs. Samurai swords proved only marginally effective, but the flaming arrows of Chodama's archers took down the beasts in short order. However, the other kami slaughtered many of the humans who got too close, their vicious claws and magic showing no mercy. A number of stout kami raised their arms with green life-magic, their powers creating kami out of trees and soil to fight on their behalf.

"Let's get to the town! Kami just love to massacre humans where they're concentrated the most," Mizuki shouted over the din, tugging on Morrel's arm to bring him along. "Our target's bound to be right there with them. Are you ready?"

Morrel clenched his free hand into a fist. "More than ready."

A nearby building collapsed, weakened by its fires. A number of short goblin-creatures skittered about, flaming sticks in their hands. They tossed those sticks onto the human dwellings, setting them to fire with a single touch. "Those are akki, possessed by the kami," Mizuki commented. "They -"

"Wait!" Morrel shouted as a wooden kami pounced on Mizuki from behind. She croaked in surprise, not sure what to do. Morrel leaped into the air and spun, his heavy roundhouse kick knocking the twisted wooden kami to the ground in a confused heap. Catching on, Mizuki raised her giant cursed arm and slashed her talons down, tearing the tree-like kami into shreds.

"We'd better watch our backs," Morrel huffed.

"I guess," Mizuki admitted. "Nice save, but I -"

She was cut off again as another presence roared onto the battlefield, knocking down every tree in its way. The forest battleground became a clearing as the new creature slashed down the trees in its rage. Morrel felt a thrill of shock as the new, enormous creature crawled into the town on its many clawed legs, its bright orange eyes hungry. The beast looked like a black-skinned lizard, but it had a long body with ten legs, and its skin was a hardened carapace like a beetle's. Its pointed lizard head opened its toothless mouth, revealing three long tongues. The creature's spine was covered with a number of pulsating sacs. Several glowing red spheres of divine magic hovered over the kami's head.

"Is... is that it?" Morrel said faintly to Mizuki as the battle raged around them.

"That... is it." Mizuki's eyes hardened and sparked fire. "That's the creature that ruined my life and slaughtered my village, then gave me this cursed right arm that made me a pariah of every society I've ever seen!"

Without any further warning, Mizuki shouted a battle cry and vaulted into the air, pouncing on the kami like a predator. Looking up, the kami lashed out its three tongues, trying to swat her down from the air. Mizuki jumped off of one tongue, then batted a second tongue aside with her giant arm and dodged the third. She slammed her giant claws on the kami's head, talons grating against its carapace with loud screeches. The kami squirmed, then caught Mizuki with one of its front paws, sending her sprawling on the ground.

Morrel hurried after her, whipping out two throwing knives as his heart raced with adrenaline. The lizard kami hissed and raised a paw to crush Mizuki, until Morrel hurled his knives at its paw and sent a surge of red mana into them. The two explosions singed the kami's paw and made it recoil from the heat, giving Mizuki time to recover and get out of its reach.

The kami took a step back. **I know you, Mizuki, **a heavy, ethereal voice suddenly emanated from the creature's mind and into Morrel's head. He could tell that Mizuki could hear it too, from how she winced and held her head. The lizard kami snapped its jaws. **And you brought a friend with you, as well as a whole army! You came here for vengeance, is that it? For the curse I gave to you?**

"Get out... of my head!" Mizuki grated, her normal hand clawing into her hair. "You're a liar and a killer!"

**I tried to recruit you to my side, Mizuki, but you're a tough one, a free spirit, **the lizard kami chuckled. **But today, you brought yourself to me for another round! How delicious!**

Morrel raised his arms into a defensive posture, but the lizard kami didn't move. Instead, as thick gray clouds started to assemble overhead, the lizard kami brought its own army to bear. The cysts on its back exploded and a number of red-skinned lizards scurried out, their talons long and their tails ending in blades. The lizards, over two dozen of them, pounced on the survivors of Chodama's army and tore at their flesh, reducing Chodama's army to only a tight band. The rest of the forest kami and all the akki had perished, but the lizard's new army decimated what was left of the town's people and Chodama's forces.

The lizards came after Morrel too, and he didn't let them get close. One of them leaped for his throat, and another went for his left flank. Sinking a knife into the flanker's throat, Morrel ducked the throat-seeker and seized its arms, keeping it from getting away. He slammed his booted foot into its gut, sending it crashing into its fellow. A third lizard seized him from behind, claws digging into his leather armor and then into his skin. Biting back a cry, Morrel grappled with the lizard on the ground, but the red kami's strength astounded him. Another one pounced on him, and together they went for Morrel's heart.

Morrel tried to recite the verse for his Oblivion Ring, but the pressure of the two lizards crushed his throat and the words wouldn't come out. Desperate, Morrel shoved his hands into one of the lizards' chest, white mana glowing on his fingers. With a flash, the disk-shaped Oblivion Ring emerged and swallowed up the lizard, banishing it from existence. Staring at the white magic ring pattern, Morrel realized what had happened. _I cast my ring without the verse! I... how did I do that?_

The other lizard recovered from the shock and snapped its jaws at Morrel's throat, but Mizuki's cursed arm slapped it away and slashed it to bits. "You okay, Morrel?" Mizuki huffed, her body bruised and covered in small cuts.

"Y-yeah," Morrel panted back, staggering to his feet and trying to clear his mind from losing so much breath. He clapped his hands together and re-summoned the banished lizard kami, hurling a knife into its throat as soon as it emerged. The giant black lizard kami shuffled forward, its surviving followers clustering around its head. **You're much stronger than the terrified, rain-drenched little girl I met back then, **the giant kami taunted.

Mizuki snarled and brandished her cursed arm. "You gave me this, creature! Now I'll kill you with it! Get over to me and fight me personally!"

The giant lizard only chuckled. **That's not how it works, my little friend! **Then, more cysts emerged from its back and popped, releasing another swarm of red lizards. Morrel backed up to rally his fellows, but his heart seemed to turn to lead at what he saw: every tamer and samurai was dead, and Chodama was the only survivor, injured and staggering to Morrel.

"Morrel-_san_! There were too many of them," the samurai commander gasped. "We have to retreat and -"

A trio of red lizards pounced on him, tearing him to bloody pieces. The giant kami rumbled its amusement and crawled forward on its ten legs, its red followers skittering about. Then they swarmed forward as one, trying to take down the two remaining human prey. Years of combat training kicked into gear inside Morrel's head as the swarm approached, and his fists lashed through the air, expertly countering attacks and sending lizard spirits crashing to the ground. His kicks and knives took down a few more of the beasts, and Mizuki defended herself ferociously with her giant arm's talons and her black mana tentacles. Morrel and Mizuki pushed closer to the giant lizard kami, sustaining light injuries along the way.

"Cover me!" Mizuki roared, swatting away a lizard spirit with her giant arm. She tensed her legs in a crouch, then sprang into the air toward the giant kami's head before it could spawn more red lizards. Two red lizards pounced after Mizuki, but Morrel's thrown knife stopped one and his spinning mid-air kick knocked away the other. Roaring, Mizuki swung her talons down on the giant kami lizard's head. The giant black kami hunkered its head and let its carapace take the blow. Loud screeches rang in Morrel's ears as Mizuki's giant claws raked against the hard carapace, but she could not cut through.

**Idiot girl! To think you can defeat me with the curse I gifted you with! **The giant kami laughed, then it slashed its tail through the air, slapping Mizuki to the forest floor. It kicked her away with a leg, then scampered toward the largest building in the town, a multi-story shrine. The remaining lizard spirits pounced on Mizuki, but her tentacles of black mana impaled two of them and made the rest hesitate.

"Are you okay?" Morrel cried, hurrying over. He collected his scattered knives and threw one into the ground, blowing it up with red mana. The lizards cowered.

"I... I'm fine," Mizuki grunted, staggering to her bare feet. She was a little wobbly but the fire in her eyes still burned. "Morrel! We have to take the kami down together and get through its armor like we did with the siege-maw kami. It's the only way."

"Yeah. But I wonder what it's doing, anyway?" Morrel wondered, giving the giant black lizard another look. Rain started to fall from the overhead sheet of clouds as the giant kami began bashing its way into the large temple. Wood and stone collapsed at the kami's touch, revealing the treasures and rooms inside. However, as soon as the walls started to collapse, Morrel suddenly felt... something.

"You feel that?" Mizuki asked as she stood with her back to Morrel, while the red kami circled them for another attack.

Morrel swallowed. "Yeah, like a tingling? There's something powerful and magical in that temple, and the kami wants it. What if the source will strengthen our target?"

"Can't let that happen," Mizuki growled as the sensation intensified. "Let's go!"

Rain soaked into Morrel's clothes as he and Mizuki sprang into action. The red lizards lashed out with their claws and fangs, and Morrel grimaced as a lizard's claws raked his left arm. The beast swung with its other arm, but Morrel seized the arm and heaved the lizard into another one. Morrel landed a knife into the thrown lizard, and when he poured red mana into it, the resulting explosion vaporized both lizards. Then, Morrel ducked and spun quickly, his booted foot sweeping a lizard off its feet. Mizuki's talons flashed through the air, shredding it into pieces.

"Now!" Mizuki cried, leaping after the giant kami once again. Morrel was right behind her, one knife held tight in each hand. The temple collapsed as they approached, and a rainbow of magic seeped out, the air coming alive with millions of colors. Morrel's curiosity burned to know what was going on, but he had to focus.

**I've found it! Azrael, I have found your prize! Now you will give me power beyond my imagining, as you have promised! **The giant lizard kami mentally bellowed, and Morrel hesitated for just a second. _Is this lizard a vassal for someone else? Just who is Azrael, and why is this mana source so important?_

All the same, Mizuki slashed down with her claws and Morrel hastened to help. Mizuki's giant arm and one of the lizard's paws clashed, each being struggling against the other's might. The giant lizard whipped its tail through the air, but Morrel was faster. Quickly reciting the chant, he summoned his Hindering Light and the gold-blue shield stopped the tail slap cold. Mizuki used this distraction to wrench the lizard's paw away and cut her talons between the paw's armor plates, drawing blood.

**Damn you both! You could have served me, Mizuki, but you chose to run! **The kami raged. Opening its mouth, its three tongues slapped Morrel and Mizuki to the ground, both landing hard and getting bruised.

"You slaughtered my village and promised me power to bring the people back. Instead, you gave me this horrible curse! _I'm_ the victim!" Mizuki screamed. "Morrel!"

"Yeah!" he nodded firmly, scrambling to his feet as Mizuki did the same. The giant lizard reared up and slashed repeatedly with its many paws, forcing Mizuki and Morrel to focus on evasion and lose their chance to attack. A tongue slap disoriented Morrel, but when he saw a paw coming to cleave him, he acted fast. Once again, he raised his hands for an Oblivion Ring and the ring materialized without the verse. The kami's leg was vaporized from the elbow down, trapped in the ring's magic.

"Looks like you don't need the verse when the action's hot enough!" Mizuki commented. Her black mana tentacles speared into the lizard's armor cracks, drawing more blood. She grated her talons against its armor, but she still couldn't get through. Another tail slap whooshed through the air, so Morrel conjured his Hindering Light to counter it. However, the kami rumbled and red-adjusted, now shooting its tail forth like a spear. The focused attack pierced Morrel's shield, slicing into Mizuki's flesh and making her collapse with a cry and spurt of blood.

Furious, Morrel detonated a knife against the kami's armor, but his blow changed nothing. **Time to die, Mizuki! **The lizard roared, and it lashed out with its three tongues, wrapping Mizuki up and snapping her into the kami's mouth. Morrel hurled his knives but he was too slow. The knives bounced off the kami's closed jaws as it swallowed, sending Mizuki toward its stomach.

**And now you! **The kami glared at Morrel. **You killed off the last of my spirit spawns. Well, I don't need them at this point. I will swallow you up too!**

Morrel tensed as the kami approached, but he felt rising panic and sadness well up inside him as the rain kept pouring. _Mizuki! She's gone, she's gone! The kami got her just like that! I have to kill it fast and try to get her out, or else..._

The lizard kami hesitated, its eyes widening. **What the...? **the kami rumbled, then its neck suddenly bulged from the inside, straining the black carapace plates on its skin. Morrel gaped as the kami bulged even more, and then with a final strain, its neck exploded with a shower of blood, carapace bits, and storms of black magic. From the center of the fray came Mizuki, her giant right arm raised high. She tumbled to a halt on the open ground, the rainwater washing away the grime from her clothes and body. The kami's headless body collapsed heavily and the head lay motionless, the orange eyes now glassy and still. The Oblivion Ring vanished, the banished limb re-appearing and falling uselessly to the ground.

"You... you killed it! Mizuki, it's done!" Morrel told her, elation rising in his voice. He knelt by her, helping her get up to her knees. "It's all over. The kami's dead, and you're free of its curse."

Panting, Mizuki held out her right arm and manually shrank it to normal size and color, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. Then she wrapped Morrel in a tight hug, beside herself with elation.

"It's done, just like you said. I dealt the last blow, but you really helped me on the way," Mizuki admitted. Morrel felt a thrill as Mizuki embraced him, then he gently moved her back and took hold of her right arm.

"The curse really is gone, now isn't it?" Morrel smiled, running his hands along Mizuki's delicate fingers. "You can use these hands for happiness and creation, not crime."

Mizuki burst out laughing. "Enough nonsense! One thing at a time, damn it. Your Journey of Souls is over now, right? You did it?"

"Yes," Morrel said with pride. "My brother, my king, everyone will be proud. They -"

Mizuki groaned, suddenly clutching her stomach and doubling over. Morrel gripped her shoulders. "What is it?" he asked. "Did the kami poison you?"

"N... no. This heavy tingling sensation... like it's in my whole body..." Mizuki moaned, then all of a sudden, her right arm lashed out. Morrel yelped in shock as her right arm once again grew huge and black-skinned, its blow sending Morrel sprawling onto the rain-drenched dirt. He stared, horrified, as Mizuki slowly rose to her feet, holding up her giant right arm with shock.

"No! No, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen!" Mizuki threw back her head and roared, her right arm's talons gouging into the thick mud over and over. She repeated "No!" with each strike, each blow more powerful than the last as she slashed the earth in her fury. Morrel stood back, not wanting to get hit.

"Mizuki, uh... maybe it takes time to undo the curse?"

Gasping, Mizuki lowered her arm, incredulity on her face. "I... I don't know! I feel a certain rage and power whenever the curse activates, but now that sensation is even stronger! Killing the kami only increased my curse's appetite for killing and chaos."

_Maybe that inner rage is what makes it manifest, _Morrel conjectured, remembering the times Mizuki had accidentally activated her curse whenever she felt anger or stress. _It controls her as much as she controls it! Well, there's something else..._

Morrel wandered over to the ruined temple, hope rising in his gut again. "There's still the source of this multi-colored magic. Why don't we see if it can help?"

"Doesn't hurt to try," Mizuki said faintly, still furious at her fate. She wandered over, dragging her giant right arm. She squinted. "Hey. Is that... a crystal?"

Upon removing some of the temple's debris, Morrel saw what she meant. What looked like a piece of a quartz sphere lay in the ruins, its surface giving off the multitude of mana colors. A strange humming sound came from the sphere, and Morrel felt the tingling sensation grow rapidly as he approached the sphere. "Um... I'm afraid to even touch this thing, really."

"Oh, don't be such a baby. I'll do it," Mizuki smirked, reaching out with her cursed arm to take the crystal.

"Don't touch, my dear. That doesn't belong to you!"

Both Morrel and Mizuki whirled around as a young woman's energetic voice rang out across the forest clearing. From the trees emerged a woman a few years Morrel's senior, her long black hair bound up in a long ponytail. Two thick strands of hair fell by her cheeks, and her leather armor bared her shoulders and midriff. Her tight pants accentuated her curvy figure and her feet rested in tall leather boots. In her hand she held what looked like a whip handle without the actual whip cord.

"Who are you?" Morrel demanded, reaching into his cloak for two knives. _This could be bad. Is this the "Azrael" person the lizard kami talked about? _He had to admit that she had a seductive beauty about her, from her figure right down to the tone of her voice and the excited gleam in her eyes.

"Me? My name's Maretta," the young woman said politely. "And you?"

"Morrel, a battlemage of Akrasa and bearer of one sigil," Morrel declared, raising his chin.

Mizuki raised her right arm to eye level. "I'm Mizuki, the one who'll tear your head off unless you do some explaining!"

Maretta laughed lightly. "Oh, you're a feisty one, aren't you? Well, you're trying to interfere with my boss's plans, so I have to either chase you two off, or kill you both! It depends on how cooperative you are."

She snapped her wrist, and a long cord of bright blue mana snaked out of the whip handle, white sparks flying from the blue cord. Maretta flicked her right wrist and the mana whip slashed into the ground, making a loud hiss in a burst of sparks and smoke.

Mizuki glanced at Morrel. "She's in the way, and I feel like blowing off some steam right now. How about it?"

"Well, on the side of reason, it's true that she's after the same object as the kami we slew," Morrel whispered to his ally. "They're both in league with someone named Azrael."

Maretta lashed her whip again, taking a few steps closer. "Well? What do you say? Run, or stand in my way?"

Morrel shot her a contemptuous look. "Come and get us!"

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Mountain (John Avon), Soul of Magma, Hindering Light, Ore Gorger, Forest (Rob Alexander), Moss Kami, Soilshaper, Akki Raider, Oblivion Ring, Tendrils of Corruption**


	8. Chapter 8

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 8**

"You want me to come and get you?" the whip-woman, Maretta, chuckled happily. She lashed her whip on the ground again. "You're going to be sorry you asked for that!"

"Don't give her any mercy. She's making me angry!" Mizuki grated, and she pounced, sweeping her left hand through the air as she went. Five tentacles of concentrated black mana sprouted out of the ground, lashing through the air at Maretta like striking cobras. Smiling, Maretta twirled in place, sweeping her blue mana whip through the air in a wide arc. The blue whip sliced the tendrils in half, but they were only a ruse. With a wild howl, Mizuki slashed her right arm's giant talons right at Maretta's head, the claws making a whistling sound as they went.

"Not so easy, my dear," Maretta taunted her, then ducked and twirled away, letting Mizuki's claws slash through empty air and gouge into the muddy ground. Growling, Mizuki charged and swung her claws at various angles, trying to overwhelm Maretta's guard. Maretta only laughed as she expertly bounced around, flexing and twisting to easily evade Mizuki's every move. Hurrying toward the melee, Morrel hurled several knives at the elusive Maretta, and one of them grazed the whip woman's left arm, drawing blood.

"Oh, yeah!" Mizuki roared her delight, stepping forward for a heavy strike. However, Maretta slipped to the side and crouched, wrapping her arm around Mizuki's leg. The cursed Planeswalker lost her balance and sprawled clumsily to the mud, her giant arm unable to help.

Maretta twisted her whip through the air. "Sorry, my lovely enemy, but you're far too slow and obvious to possibly -"

With a growl, Mizuki writhed her left arm, and three black tendrils sprouted out of the ground, right behind Maretta. Maretta was too slow to avoid them, and she cried out as the tendrils impaled her from behind.

"That'll teach you... to mess with me!" Mizuki declared, getting back to her feet and pointing at Maretta with her giant arm. "Now I'll finish it!"

Maretta slashed apart the tendrils with her whip, then jumped back and raised her whip. "Not so easy! Now I'll go on the offensive!"

_She's tough, to still be standing after taking three mana tendrils to the back! _Morrel realized, but then he beheld Maretta's next move. She observed the bodies of at least a dozen dead samurai around her, troops from Chodama's army. She lashed out her whip at them, and then the cord split into a dozen thinner ones, each one latching onto the necks of twelve different samurai. With a tug, Maretta lifted the samurai with her whip tendrils, and then the samurai pounced through the air, swords drawn and poised to strike.

"But they're dead bodies! How can they move?" Mizuki gritted as Morrel caught up to her. They stood back to back, Mizuki's giant arm and Morrel's defensive melee attacks holding the samurai blades at bay. Still, the samurai outnumbered them six to one. Morrel seized the arm of a samurai and threw the man away, but another samurai's blade grazed his shoulder, and a third kicked him away. Mizuki's giant claws tore apart one of the marauding samurai, giving Morrel a chance to raise his hands. "Brightest dawn, darkest eve, tallest peak, lowest valley, this land will not tolerate this being before me!"

The giant white disk of mana appeared, and the Oblivion Ring was big enough to warp five of the samurai out of existence. Their whip threads fell uselessly to the ground, and Mizuki's claws dispatched another samurai corpse. Morrel dodged a samurai's swing, then shoved the samurai aside and kicked the corpse's head off with a powerful kick.

"Not too bad!" Maretta howled with glee. "But I'm just getting started!"

Morrel chased after Maretta, but she took a few steps back and lashed her blue mana whip through the air. It split into even more tendrils, over twenty of them. The threads latched onto the bodies of the forest kami and dead samurai alike, and the mis-matched army charged after Morrel and Mizuki. Kami claws and samurai blades raged through the air, forcing Morrel and Mizuki to retreat and defend themselves from the onslaught. Even so, Morrel and Mizuki were tired from their battle against the kami, and each sustained a growing number of bruises and cuts from enemy attacks.

With ever passing minute, Morrel's arms grew tired and he felt his mana reserves thinning out, but he refused to go down just yet. He countered a kami's swing and wrenched its arm out of its socket, then reached an arm out and dispelled his Oblivion Ring. The five samurai corpses flashed back into existence, and Morrel hurled the kami's arm at them, its claws slashing their bodies to pieces.

Maretta howled with glee as she broke her whip's cord into more threads, adding even more kami and samurai to her corpse army. "How much longer can you two possibly hold out against me? This is my Whip of Thegns, capable of controlling anyone or anything, alive or dead! That is my power, and I am a queen with countless vassals at her disposal!"

_You're no queen, just another monster to defeat! _Morrel countered in his head. He winced as a kami's kick hurt his side, but Mizuki's claws slashed the creature to pieces, and they both got a clear shot at Maretta. Morrel and Mizuki pounced away from Maretta's corpse army, charging after the master herself. The creatures followed them, but Morrel hurled a pair of throwing knives at their midst, detonating them with red mana. The shock waves and fire stalled the creatures, giving Morrel and Mizuki a clear shot at Maretta herself.

"She's defenseless by herself! Get her!" Mizuki encouraged Morrel, her claws slashing through the air. Morrel steadied himself into a ready posture, then lashed out with expert punches and kicks, trying to read Maretta's movements and compensate for her evasive maneuvers. It was for nothing. Smirking, Maretta weaved through Morrel and Mizuki's onslaught like water, not one blow touching her. Dodging a heavy swing by Mizuki, Maretta vaulted high over Morrel and wrapped her legs around his neck, wrenching him to the ground. She let go of Morrel, and then her kick to his head made his ears ring and vision flicker, his body feeling weak. Maretta slipped by Mizuki's surprise attack, then jumped away and landed several feet away.

Maretta laughed and released all of her vassals, combining the threads into a single thick cord again. "You both make a good team, but it's for nothing. I want that sphere shard, and I'll pound you both into the dirt to teach you to defy me and my lord!"

"Just who _is _your lord?" Mizuki snapped, flexing her claws. She extended her left hand, helping Morrel get to his feet.

"My boss' name is Azrael, and he's very upset that the two of you are interfering with his plans," Maretta said in teasing tones. "He has very little patience for any interference or delay, so he urged me to take you both out quickly. I'll be sure not to disappoint him."

Morrel shook his head to clear it, knocking his glasses askew. "Why do you serve such a being? What's he offering you?"

"Fun, if nothing else. I can Planeswalk to exotic lands and fight great people like you!" Maretta gloated. "Oh, and I'll gain much power if Azrael's plans are completed. But that's not for you to worry about. Try worrying about this!"

Maretta raised her whip, but instead of splitting it into threads, she lashed it through the air at Morrel and Mizuki, faster than before. Morrel ducked and spun to evade the blue lash, but Mizuki wasn't so lucky. She slipped away from one lash, but then the whip rebounded and latched onto the back of her neck.

"Mizuki!" Morrel yelped his concern, but he knew that he couldn't do anything just yet. Mizuki's body trembled and jerked, then she stood in a firm stance, raising her giant right arm in a ready posture. Her face was screwed tight with agony and frustration.

"I can't control myself! She's got total control over my body," Mizuki gritted tensely as rainwater poured down her face. Maretta's whip control made Mizuki raise and lower her arm whimsically. "I think she's going to make me attack you!"

Morrel raised his arms in a defensive posture. "I'm ready!"

Then, the possessed Mizuki charged, much faster than Morrel expected. Morrel flinched as her giant arm lashed out, and Morrel ducked the blow and slipped to Mizuki's side, where she couldn't defend herself. He tried to strike a blow to crumple his enemy, but Mizuki immediately twisted out of the way and countered, her barefooted kick catching Morrel by surprise. He tumbled to the muddy ground, chest aching.

Morrel didn't get any respite; Mizuki cried a warning as she pounced, swinging down with her claws to take his head off. Morrel tumbled away and got back to his feet, striking Mizuki's chest open-handed to push her back. When Mizuki charged to attack again, Morrel twisted around her giant right arm and diverted her energy, he kicked her in the back, making her collapse to the ground. Taking his chance, Morrel leaped after Maretta to take her out, but then a tentacle of black mana narrowly missed his cheek. He landed on the ground, whirling around.

"I'm about to conjure more! Dodge!" Mizuki cried, her left arm waving complex patterns through the air. Morrel was ready for a few black mana tentacles to come at him, but he felt alarm clench his gut as nearly a hundred tentacles appeared out of the ground all over the place, all lashing at Morrel from various directions. He had to use every bit of his combat training to evade the tentacles, and his hastily-cast Hindering Light deflected a dozen tendrils that tried to impale his face. Morrel leaped high over the writhing mass of tendrils, but many of them rose into the air after him, several grazing his flesh all over. Morrel felt his skin bleed and sting all over as he landed heavily, panting and gasping.

With a look of horror, Mizuki dispelled the tendrils and raised her giant right arm, pointing with her index finger. Black mana focused on the finger's claw tip, then an intense beam of black man shot out of the finger, aimed right at Morrel.

"Whoa!" Morrel was equally impressed and confused as he rolled out of the way, letting the black beam blast into the ground he had occupied a second before. A deep, steaming hole marked the spot where the beam touched the earth, and Mizuki's finger smoked from the intensity of the beam. "I didn't even know you could do that," Morrel wheezed.

"That's because when I control someone with my whole whip, I can read all of their combat potential and draw it out!" Maretta declared. "She's much more powerful under my control than by herself. Isn't that amazing?"

Then, Maretta twitched her whip, making Mizuki pounce. Morrel was too slow, and Mizuki knocked Morrel to the ground, kneeling on him with her claws poised right at his neck. "You can't even hit her back, can you? Hurt your friend?" Maretta taunted.

"I don't need to hurt her to defeat you!" Morrel gritted.

"Oh, no?" Maretta sounded impressed. "I have total control of Mizuki and she can't get free unless I let her! Even if she attacks and hurts you, you won't hurt your lovely girlfriend?"

"I'm not anyone's girlfriend!" Mizuki objected hotly, her face going pink. "Let me go!"

"Well, what if I do _this_?" Maretta wondered, then had Mizuki get off Morrel and stand upright. Her giant hand's claws slowly approached her neck, threatening to tear her own throat open.

Morrel snapped. "Don't do that!" He pounced at Mizuki with his arms outstretched, but then Mizuki wiggled her left hand's fingers, and hundreds of black tentacles erupted around Morrel, writhing into a thick pillar that swallowed Morrel up. The mass of tentacles contracted, squeezing Morrel with a titanic implosion of exploding black mana.

"Morrel!" Mizuki howled, watching the spectacle in horror. The tentacles dissipated, and Mizuki thought she would see Morrel's dead body fall to the ground, but he hovered in the air, curled up and protected by his blue-gold Hindering Light shield. After dispelling the shield, Morrel rocketed through the air, forcing Mizuki to the ground. Although his body ached and felt weak, Morrel gathered the strength to make his move. "Beasts of burden, birds of flight, trees of fruit, gardens of flowers, nature does not tolerate artifice in her bosom!"

Green magic condensed on Morrel's hands, and before Mizuki could throw him off, he wrapped his hands tight around the blue whip cord, the green naturalizing magic fighting to corrode the enchanting whip. The whip's tough magic resisted the naturalizing, but Morrel gritted his teeth and threw his full effort into the magic, body trembling from the effort. With a cry of victory, Morrel burned through the whip cord and freed Mizuki from the whip, the short strand on her neck fading to nothing. Mizuki slumped to the ground with a groan as Maretta returned the remaining whip cord to herself.

"Damn it! You can dissolve enchantments?" Maretta growled. "You won't make a fool of me twice!" She lashed her whip everywhere through the air, but she grew careless in her anger, and Mizuki and Morrel leaped after her, filling the air with their attacks. Maretta used her acrobatics and weaved through the air to avoid harm, but she started to sustain a few blows and lost her concentration. Mizuki's giant hand balled into a fist and slammed Maretta to the ground, and the whip master scrambled back with a look of terror on her face as Morrel and Mizuki approached.

"D-don't hurt me! I can tell you anything you'd like to know!" Maretta wailed with terror in her voice. "J-just don't hurt me anymore, please!"

Morrel felt his resolve soften. _She's just a frightened young woman now. She can't threaten us anymore. _"You'd better mean that. What's your master Azrael's plan? Why are you here, and what's with that sphere fragment back in the temple ruins?"

"Get back, Morrel! I bet it's just an act," Mizuki growled, gently pushing Morrel back with her left hand. "I think she -"

"She has done her job, at least to an extent," a new voice called out across the forest clearing. Everyone turned to behold a new person striding toward them, a look of determination set on his face.

Morrel stiffened. "Who are you? Are you a friend, or are you in league with this Azrael person?"

The man looked to be in his late 20's, with shoulder-length red hair and a stern, regal face with sharp brown eyes. He wore black cloth under his shiny silver armor, and his red cape paid homage to his hair's hue. He clenched his bare fists as he drew within ten feet. "I don't answer to Azrael, boy. I _am _Azrael, and you are bullying my subordinate."

Mizuki flinched. "This is bad, Morrel," she muttered desperately. "We have to get away! I'm getting a bad feeling about this guy."

Morrel stood his ground. "How did you find us? Are you a native of Kamigawa? You don't look like the other men here."

Azrael shook his head, red locks whipping side to side. "I don't hail from here, and neither does Maretta. Like your new friend Mizuki, we are Planeswalkers. And I have been watching your progress with an inter-Planar scrying spell. I don't appreciate what I have seen."

"Oh yeah? Are you going to do something about it?" Morrel taunted him. His gut burned and he felt tired of being threatened and bullied by others. _I have to make a stand! I am no __pushover. I won't go down!_

Instead of answering, Azrael vanished in a flash of sky-blue light, catching Morrel off-guard. A split-second later, Azrael appeared in the space behind Mizuki and Morrel with another flash of blue, and his roundhouse kick sent both Morrel and Mizuki sprawling to the mud, his blow immensely strong.

"I will do _that_, for example," Azrael growled, clenching his fists again. Maretta slowly got to her feet, her body trembling. Azrael looked at her. "Maretta, you have done enough. Return to Dominaria and find Rohkan. He can tend to you."

"Yeah," Maretta muttered, dissipating her whip's mana cord and clutching her side. Not wanting to let her get away, Morrel launched a flying kick at her, but Maretta vanished with a flash of white light as she Planeswalked away, and Morrel's kick cut through empty air. Then, Azrael teleported before Morrel, and his lightning-fast punch nearly took Morrel's head off. The Bant battlemage barely ducked in time, backing away from his foe.

"You won't get away from me," Azrael snarled, eyes spitting fire. "I have a mission to complete, and your interference will end here and now!"

"You're in over your head!" Morrel snapped back, raising his hands in a ready stance, his whole body throbbing despite his bold words. "Let's get him, Mizuki!"

At once, six tendrils of black magic shot out of the ground at Mizuki's command, spearing toward Azrael like striking snakes. The redheaded man vanished in another flash of light, appearing in the air above Mizuki. He grunted as he swung his foot down in a powerful heel drop, and Mizuki raised her giant right arm to counter it. Azrael's booted boot slammed down on Mizuki's giant hand, and he knocked Mizuki's arm aside as he finished the kick.

_He knocked away Mizuki's strong arm that easily? _Morrel gasped internally. He hurled two knives at Azrael's back, but the man seemed to know they were coming. He spun out of the way, letting the knives sink into a nearby tree instead. Mizuki lunged at Azrael and Morrel threw a powerful kick, and in response, Azrael vanished again.

"Teleporting bastard!" Mizuki cursed, then Azrael appeared right behind her. She yelped as Azrael's powerful backhanded punch sent her sprawling into the mud, and Morrel hurried over, raising his hands. " Brightest dawn, darkest eve -"

Morrel's Oblivion Ring spell was countered as Azrael pounced through the air, swinging a kick at his head. Morrel ducked to avoid it, then wrapped his arm around Azrael's leg and shifted the attacker's momentum, throwing him off-balance. Morrel lashed out with his fist at his vulnerable enemy, until Azrael's hand caught Morrel's fist and held it in place.

"An unusual tactic. You use my momentum against me, then strike when I'm disoriented," Azrael commented, then he threw Morrel's fist aside and kicked the Bant battlemage in the chest, and Morrel staggered back. He gasped from the power in that kick. _Not even my brother Raphael hits that hard when we spar! This guy's fast and strong, and unlike Raphael, he has no problem with killing me!_

Morrel grit his teeth, then let loose with a barrage of kicks and punches, his movements fast and fluid to get around Azrael's guard. The other man easily blocked Morrel's blows, knocking aside Morrel's latest punch and countering with a blow to the head. Then, Azrael teleported again, appearing at Morrel's exposed right flank. His kick sent Morrel sprawling, and Morrel shouted as he heard and felt one of his ribs crack. Morrel tumbled clumsily to the ground, groaning and clutching at his rib.

At the same time, Azrael teleported again and appeared right before Mizuki, a confident smirk on his face. The Kamigawa Planeswalker leaped back with a growl, hurling a handful of black mana tendrils at Azrael. Instead of dodging, Azrael reached out with his left hand and let the mana tendrils strike his open palm, yellow mana glowing and sparking at the point of impact. Azrael held his arm stiff as he absorbed the mana tendrils, then the tentacles of mana vanished.

"I can nullify magic with just one touch," Azrael explained himself, lowering his hand. "Young woman, you won't hurt me with that attack again."

"N... no!" Mizuki howled, charging at Azrael with her claws outstretched. She lashed out with her talons, and Azrael simply leaped on top of her giant hand, running down the length of her arm. His kick sent Mizuki tumbling to the ground again, skidding to a halt near Morrel.

"J-Just who... what are you?" Morrel growled, slowly staggering to his knees. His glasses were off-balance again and rainwater collected on the panes. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have a very important mission to fulfill, and millions of souls are counting on me to save them," Azrael declared, stepping toward the aching Morrel. "And you dare to interfere! You killed my lizard kami servant, although he still managed to uncover a piece of the Sphere of Ages. You injured my vassal, Maretta, and now you raised your hand against me. I can't forgive you!"

Morrel huffed. "You guys did it first! That kami cursed Mizuki and killed her whole family when she was just a child. We only sought to slay it. We have no quarrel with you."

"You do now," Azrael growled. "Anyone who gets in my way will pay the price! Even all these foolish samurai who attacked my kami servant. Even the villagers, who unknowingly made their home around the Sphere shard I must collect."

"That's a vile lie," Morrel argued, voice growing louder over the hiss of rain, startling Azrael. "That's a lie! You talk about justice and saving souls? You're a monster, a demon who sends his own wretched servants to slaughter innocents and fulfill his own selfish desires! No innocent soul would ever want you as a savior. Demon!"

Morrel hoped that his words hit home, but he realized a minute later that he went much further than he intended. Azrael stepped closer to Morrel, breathing hard and his eyes wild. "You dare to call me a killer?" Azrael shouted hysterically. "You are the misguided one here! I am a savior of souls and I won't let you besmirch what I am striving to do!"

His sudden kick sent Morrel tumbling across the ground, and he lifted Morrel by his shirt collar and hit him hard, then teleported behind him and seized his arm, wrenching it hard. Morrel shouted as he felt his arm break, then Azrael's drop-kick slammed into Morrel's other shoulder and sent him falling face-first into the damp dirt, his glasses falling off his face. Azrael teleported to Mizuki, raising a hand. "You are the one who killed my servant. You, too, are guilty!" Azrael thundered, kicking Mizuki away. She tumbled toward Morrel, limp and feeble. Her cursed right arm shrank back down to normal, bruised and cut from wrist to shoulder.

Azrael huffed, his chest heaving. "I regret the need to do this, but this lesson must be taught," he told Morrel and Mizuki. "I expect I won't see the two of you again, now that you have learned."

With that, he teleported to the ruined temple, kneeling and picking up the glittering sphere fragment. He tucked it under his arm and then Planeswalked away, leaving Mizuki and Morrel alone.

"Morrel... how could you... let him beat you up like that?" Mizuki groaned with a forced smirk on her face.

Morrel coughed, feeling his ribs creak. "You saw that guy. He... had some serious skills, that bastard. And I was... already worn out from the earlier fights." His vision was blurry without his glasses.

"Excuses, excuses..." Mizuki clawed at the earth, dragging herself toward Morrel. "C-come on, Morrel. Help m-me up? I'm tired, and he hurt me good."

"I-I know, but... damn, he got me good too," Morrel joked, reaching out an aching arm for Mizuki. She chuckled weakly, then went limp as she fainted, eyes closing. Morrel tried to lift his head and shout for help, but then his vision faded to black, and the gentle rainfall was the last thing he heard or saw in the forest clearing.

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **"Thegn" is an Old English word for "servant" or "attendant", used by the aristocrats and kings of Anglo-Saxon England. Thus, Maretta's whip makes servants or attendants out of whoever it touches. "Thegn" is pronounced "thane," and fans of Mass Effect 2 may recognize that name as that of Thane Krios, the assassin-servant of the hanar. His name now makes sense, doesn't it?

**Cards in this chapter... Tendrils of Corruption, Oblivion Ring, Hindering Light, Naturalize, Teleport, Cancel**


	9. Chapter 9

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 9**

Although he still ached from head to foot, Morrel decided that he definitely felt much better now than when he did after losing to Azrael. He didn't quite open his eyes yet, but could feel himself lying down on a soft surface, probably a bed. Heavy footsteps thudded across what sounded like a wooden floor, and a raspy voice spoke, "Awake, human, for you are in good hands."

Who the heck is that? Morrel groaned and opened his eyes, half-expecting to see himself in Oboro's castle again. However, this room looked a fair bit different than Oboro's medical ward, and the being standing in the doorway was certainly not human. He, or perhaps she, had scaly skin like a reptile's, four arms, and a snake-like head. Red shamanistic robes hung loosely on the being's body, and the snake-being's unblinking eyes wordlessly encouraged Morrel to stand. Morrel did so, pushing aside his covers. He wore his Battlemage gear, fully washed free of mud.

"There's a good boy. You heal fast. Those were quite some wound you had," the snake-shaman noted. "Your friend heals fast, too. But the samurai you were with... I could do nothing for them. I am sorry."

"N... no, it's fine," Morrel shook his head, looking down at his right arm, which was held firm with a splint and thick bandages. He felt a burn of shame and anger at the memory of the beating Azrael had dealt to him, and his first impulse was to stomp out of this room and get back to that clearing to determine the meaning of everything that had happened. Morrel breathed deep and clenched his left fist. No. I can't do that. Got to start slow.

Mizuki lay on a thin mattress next to Morrel's, and the Bant battlemage knelt by her, his knees creaking. "Mizuki? You awake?" Morrel gently shook her shoulder.

With a soft groan, Mizuki blinked open her narrow eyes and sat up, squinting. "What the hell? We were saved by an orochi?"

"Show gratitude, human lass," the snake-shaman bit back. "My scouts found you both injured and unconscious in a forest clearing not far from here. With the extensive signs of carnage that they found, you should both consider yourselves lucky. Very lucky."

Yeah. Lucky, Morrel gritted to himself, but he settled down and tried to act polite. "Orochi, I thank you for your hospitality. Are your people healers?"

"I am Haruzo of the Sakura Tribe," the orochi declared. "My people are shamans, connected to the forest and to the kami. We are no medics, but natural balms and sensible first-aid got you both out of critical condition, and by redirecting the flow of your natural green mana, your broken arm will fully heal in a matter of days."

Haruzo stood a little taller. "I am the head of this temple, but I can lead you to the healers themselves if you wish to thank them. You may leave anytime, but... keep the location of this place secret."

"You have my word," Morrel saluted. "Now, may my friend and I be alone for a time?"

"Most certainly," Haruzo agreed, and he swiftly slipped through the doorway and out of sight. Outside, the sun shone bright in the forest and birds sang and insects buzzed around colorful flowers. Morrel saw a few other orochi out and about, but they weren't the most pressing matter right now.

Mizuki folded her arms, looking just as angry as Morrel felt. "I can't believe this," she fumed, eyes flashing. "Morrel, that damn kami, the bane of my life, was just a servant of that Azrael bastard! Just when I thought I was about to change my life, I'm revealed to be just a victim in some larger game... and my curse remains."

"I wasn't expecting that, either," Morrel admitted, knowing that obvious attempts to make her feel better wouldn't work. "The Multiverse is a big place, and there's all kinds of things out there we can't be prepared for... like Azrael and his servant Maretta."

"You were on your Journey of Souls to help me! You were going to help me cure my curse, not get us thrashed by other Planeswalkers! Damn you!" Mizuki exploded, then she coughed and immediately cooled down, beckoning the startled Morrel closer. He knelt by her, and then she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Morrel, this just isn't... isn't what I wanted, but it wasn't your fault. You were only trying to help."

"Yeah, I know," Morrel gently told her back, touched by the gesture. His rage about his defeat in the clearing didn't fade, though, and he wondered what King Ledram or Raphael would think if they knew Morrel got himself into a losing fight. Am I still just a kid with a lot to prove?

Mizuki let Morrel go, lying down again and staring at the ceiling. She raised her bandaged right arm, flexing the fingers. "It looks like I'm still stuck with the curse for a while, if not forever. Isn't there anything that can cure it?"

Morrel pondered this, anything to take his mind off his shame. "Well... what about that sphere fragment Azrael wanted?" he suggested slowly. "When we got close to it, I could feel all kinds of energy coming from it."

"But Azrael took it, didn't he?" Mizuki said bitterly. "And I bet he's not willing to share."

The nature of Mizuki's curse... can that unlock the answer? Morrel wondered, frowning as he settled onto his bed again. She can manifest it at will, but it also activates on its own whenever she's angry or threatened or stressed. "Well... what if you stayed away from danger for a long time, so you don't need the curse? Maybe it would lose its chance for combat, the conflict that fuels it?"

"That's stupid," Mizuki commented. "I could seek out a powerful healer, or a Planeswalker who knows one. If you're with me, that can prove that I'm trying to do this for good and not for anything suspicious. If you even still want to be with me."

"Of course I do," Morrel told her, forcing a grin. "We've got each other's backs. I'm not going anywhere until I've helped cure your curse! My Journey of Souls will go on until I do that."

"You stubborn bastard," Mizuki laughed. "You really take this seriously!"

"Well, we're still two of a kind," Morrel shrugged. "Youngsters trying to figure out their place in the Multiverse, and find out who they really are. You want to find a curse-free life and people who will accept you... and I want to become a great battlemage in my home on Bant, and step out of my brother's shadow."

Mizuki sighed with mingled frustration and wonder, lowering her arm again. "If you really mean it... could we somehow pursue Azrael? I really think that that sphere shard is our best lead. That thing must be powerful, or else why would Azrael want it so badly?"

"He's got some... mission... to fulfill with it," Morrel added. "Something about saving millions of souls? He's got to have access to power that can cure you. The only problem is, he doesn't seem to like out interference."

"Buck up, Morrel. Be a man, not a baby," Mizuki taunted him. "Letting that deter you?"

"Hey, you got the same beating I did," Morrel winced. "And why do you keep pushing my buttons?"

"We were already exhausted when Azrael showed up," Mizuki reasoned. "And if we can find help, all the better. Where's that bold battlemage I teamed up with? Give me something, Morrel. Make your promises count for something."

"I never said I wouldn't help," Morrel bristled. "You know, I can hold a hell of a grudge. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Let me guess: result of constant losses to your brother?"

"Well... yeah," Morrel looked down. "I can be determined when I want to be, and stubborn."

Mizuki laughed. "What, you mean you can be even more dogged than I've already seen?"

"You don't know the half of it."

"Oh jeez, sounds like I'm in for it," Mizuki grumbled. "Hey, Morrel, do you think – what is that?"

She tensed, eyes widening. Morrel felt it too: a sudden chill in the air, an unnatural one. There was a presence in this room, but Morrel felt no malice in it. He bolted upright, glasses knocked askew as he looked this way and that. Then, a human-sized form started to materialize in front of him, as though the air condensed to form a person. The hazy form increased in clarity, until a semi-transparent young woman stood before Morrel, her red hair falling to her shoulders and her blue eyes shining with suppressed grief.

"Hello, Morrel, Mizuki," the lady said in a voice with a slight echo. "Please don't be afraid. I'm here to help."

Morrel freaked. "Ghost lady! No!" he scrambled back in alarm, hardly daring to believe it. He had heard tales of the dead speaking to the living, but this...

"What are you?" Mizuki growled, raising her right arm. Her skin darkened and her nails turned to claws as her wounded arm started to manifest the curse.

"Whoa, wait. It's okay! I can explain," the lady insisted, gesturing with her hands. She took a few steps forward, kneeling on the wooden floor between Morrel and Mizuki. "My name is Geyosha, and yes, I'm a ghost. I've been watching you both for some time, but only now regained the strength to speak to the living. It takes me a long time to recharge the power to do so."

"You've been following us? Why?" Morrel blinked. "What's your interest in all this?"

"A very strong interest, Morrel," Geyosha told him. She wore what looked like an academy uniform. "You met the one called Azrael, and one of his servants."

"Did we ever," Mizuki commented dryly.

Geyosha suppressed an amused smile. "I know Azrael, and what he's doing. If you let me... I can tell you. You're curious about the lizard-kami, about that sphere fragment, and the mission Azrael has given himself, right?"

His throbbing wounds forgotten, Morrel settled back on his bed, back rigid with attention. "Go on," he nodded. "Geyosha, what do you know?"

"For one thing, I am Azrael's younger sister. Well, I was," Geyosha started. "And what I've seen my brother do disturbs me greatly, and I'm sorry that the two of you have gotten involved in his mad schemes. I've spoken about this to others who have crossed him, and they have sworn to fight him."

"Other Planeswalkers?" Mizuki's eyes narrowed. "They're fighting him?"

"Yes. They are friends, and perhaps you will meet them," Geyosha said gently. "First, though, I want you both to know why all this is happening."

She closed her eyes, apparently digging well into her memory. "My brother and I were born on an island on the plane of Dominaria, the largest and most influential plane of all. This island was the home of many brilliant thinkers, scholars, and engineers of magical marvels. Azrael and I attended the university of this island nation, where we proved ourselves adept in magic dealing with life energy. We quickly graduated and became university staff, leading the department for life magic. All seemed well on our island nation of progress."

"What happened to you?" Morrel asked politely.

"If you can believe it, outsiders invaded us," Geyosha said. "It was like nothing we ever thought could happen! Our nation was respected and valued for its progress, but these invaders were not men. A great portal of magic spread across the sky, admitting thousands of... abominations into our realm, ransacking us for our secrets. Almost everyone was killed, and our secrets of life magic and other advanced projects was stolen by the invaders. Azrael and I were the only survivors, watching helplessly as the horror unfolded. When the invaders took all they wanted, they left in the same portal they had come in."

Morrel was shocked. "That's..." he shook his head. "You don't know who or what the invaders were?"

"Well, I did see the one in charge of the invasion," Geyosha added. "He was a monster, a skeletal man who used the most foul and unholy magic imaginable. He looked diseased and rotten, infused with frightening machinery and tubes and liquids, all of which gave him frightening power. The whole time, he declared out loud that he had arrived in the glory of his leaders, the ones who sent him. I remember their names: Elesh Norn, and Jin-Gitaxias."

"I don't know those names. Do you?" Mizuki frowned at Morrel, who shook his head.

"These creatures clearly came from a different plane. No place on Dominaria could birth such monstrosities," Geyosha shivered. "I don't even know if they came from the same time as us! They had terrifying magic for fusing machine and life, but they wanted more, and our island nation was a treasure trove for them, all sorts of secrets. They took it all and left. Killing everyone there was a matter of course."

Morrel could tell there was more to this puzzle. "I... I admit I don't know anything about the invaders," he admitted. "But can you tell me how you died and what Azrael is doing?"

"My brother and I saw it as our duty to bring our nation back together," Geyosha said bitterly, biting her lip. "A horrible mistake. Although we knew much about life magic, we weren't prepared for the challenge. We used everything we knew to construct a sphere, which we called the Sphere of Ages. It contained the secrets of the circle of life, and had the power to bring the dead back to life, and give great might to the living."

Gasping, Morrel shakily repeated, "Bring back... the dead? No way!"

"You're right to doubt it," Geyosha offered a small smile. "Azrael and I put months into that project, and then we activated that Sphere. It was intended to bring out nation back to life... but when it tried to do so, it failed spectacularly. No one was revived, but the intense power put into that sphere was released all at once. That blast evaporated me, but right before it did, I saw the Sphere of Ages split into four pieces and warp away, probably to other planes. Not long after that, I became a ghost and I could see my brother, but not interact with him because his mind became dark and twisted, blocking me out. What I saw him do made me sadder than anything else."

Morrel's gut squirmed. "Wh... what?"

Geyosha's lip trembled and tears trickled from her eyes. "He blamed himself for my death and our project's failure. The guilt and burden on his mind must have been incredible. First, he failed to protect us from the invaders, then he failed to revive his nation and got his sister killed in the process. He succumbed to guilt and his obsession with helping others, and his mad schemes were hatched."

She snapped her head up, voice clear. "Morrel, Mizuki, listen: Azrael wants to recollect the Sphere's four pieces and use it again! He will tap into that power once again to bring me back and our entire island nation, but it will fail, I just know it. A terrible shock wave shuddered the Multiverse when the Sphere failed the first time, but if Azrael uses it again, the results could be catastrophic. Dominaria will get the worst of it, but billions of people of all races and cultures will be destroyed or ruined if that Sphere is re-assembled and used! Azrael... my brother just needs to let go, to let the past lie silent, and live his life. He's going to make others suffer if his plan goes through, and he doesn't deserve the torment he's giving himself."

Morrel gaped as Geyosha fought back her sobs. That Azrael monster really is a threat after all, huh? I can't forgive him for beating Mizuki and I like that, and if he's a menace to others... "I'll do it."

"Huh?" Mizuki said with incredulity.

Morrel stood upright, fixing his glasses back in position. "I'm going to help you, Geyosha, and help save your brother from himself. He got me good that last time, but I heal fast and you said that you've recruited the help of other Planeswalkers, right? They, too, oppose Azrael's activities?"

Geyosha nodded. "Yes, a few."

"Then it's decided," Morrel figured. "My Journey of Souls just got bigger. Mizuki and I planned to pursue Azrael for his secrets in order to cure Mizuki's curse, and now I've got all the more reason to go after him." He smiled. "That's one hell of a way to prove myself, right? Save the Multiverse? And I've got a score to settle with Azrael anyway. Many lives are at stake. I won't say no."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mizuki bolted to her bare feet. "Morrel, what about me? My curse?"

For a few seconds, Geyosha thought about this. "Mizuki, your curse isn't something that is healed with a balm or slaying the one responsible. That curse has become a part of your heart. I cannot say for sure, but: if hate, violence, and spite live in your heart, your curse only grows. If you fight for someone besides yourself, that all changes."

Morrel caught on. "Mizuki, we really should try this. Think about it. If you live with trust and selflessness, and fight for other's sake, that's the total opposite of the curse, right? It just might cure your curse. Isn't that worth a try?"

Mizuki huffed, then her right arm swelled to full cursed size and she slammed it to the wooden floor in frustration, growling. "I don't know, damn it! This is so confusing." Breathing hard, she shrank her arm to normal, then cradled it. "I'm sorry, I just... oh, whatever." She forced a grin. "I'll take your word for it, Morrel. You've done more for me than anyone ever has, and if you think helping Geyosha against Azrael is the best way, then fine. It's worth a shot. Count me in."

Geyosha started to fade at those words. "I am humbled by your selflessness," she intoned. "Morrel, Mizuki... thank you, so much. I hope you can find the other Planeswalkers soon. I can't always keep track of them, but they should cross your path soon if you're all going after Azrael. I can set you on the right path, too. I may implant a few thoughts in you, Mizuki, to start you off. If I may?"

Mizuki flinched. "Uh... sure. Just don't do anything weird."

Gliding toward Mizuki, Geyosha tapped Mizuki's forehead with a see-through finger. Then she completely faded, leaving Morrel and Mizuki alone.

*o*o*o*o*

Several more days passed before Morrel and Mizuki finally felt well enough to leave the orochi temple. Both removed their bandages and felt ready to go, but before they did, they had visitors.

"Hello," a middle-aged native man said, flanked by a woman his age carrying an infant and a girl around 13 or 14. He was clad in regalia from head to foot. "I believe we have never met? I am Warlord Oboro."

Morrel' stomach jumped. "Oboro, I am pleased to meet you." He suddenly recognized the woman as Akane.

"You both have my deepest thanks for helping me against the kami," Oboro bowed his head. "I am very sorry if I dragged you both into my battles and kidnapped the tamers, but I was only doing what I thought I had to in order to protect my family. My wife Akane, and my older daughter Yuuki, depended on me to safeguard them. I was told how to find the both of you, and I knew I had to see you."

"Oh, it was nothing," Mizuki commented lightly, folding her arms.

"There is one more who cannot express her thanks in words," Akane mentioned, raising the infant slightly. "My younger daughter is only a few months old, and she may grow up because the both of you helped us. Here, would you like to hold her? She's gentle."

"Um... okay," Mizuki shrugged, then stepped forward and accepted the babe into her arms. "So, what's her name?" The infant looked curiously up at Mizuki, reaching out with an arm.

Akane bowed her head and said, "Her name is Mizuki, the same as yours. For 'beautiful' and 'moon'. She was born at night when the gentle moon watched over me from outside my window, and I knew that this name was the best for her."

The older Mizuki couldn't help a smile as she held the infant, and Morrel could tell that she was touched. She handed Akane back her daughter, telling her, "You indeed have a most beautiful daughter, Akane. I too hope she grows up well."

"Thank you," Akane smiled back. "Now, I'm sure that you and your friend wish to be on your way?"

"Pretty much," Mizuki said. "Goodbye, everyone."

Morrel followed Mizuki into the crisp forest, enjoying the clean air. Once Mizuki led him out of sight range of the orochi, Mizuki gripped Morrel's right arm tight. "Okay, Morrel, get ready."

"Are we about to Planeswalk?" Morrel asked nervously. The last Planeswalk had been rather strenuous, going from the Akrasan castle's front grounds to the Takenuma Swamp.

Mizuki nodded. "Yup. Give me a minute to concentrate. Geyosha's thoughts told me where another Sphere piece probably is."

"You enjoyed that," Morrel added as Mizuki closed her eyes to concentrate.

"What?" she asked.

"Meeting the people you helped, and getting their gratitude," Morrel prodded her. "You see, it is good to help others. Admit it, you felt good about that, didn't you?"

Mizuki fidgeted. "Not... really. Don't mess with my head, seriously." She went slightly pink. "I just like babies and children, that's all. They're cute." She snapped her eyes open. "And don't tell anyone I told you that!"

"Of course not, no way," Morrel quickly promised. "So, what else did Geyosha inform you about our destination?"

Mizuki closed her eyes, almost ready to Planeswalk. "It's a plane that Planeswalkers rarely visit because its a backwater, but it's a beautiful and idyllic place."

Morrel swallowed. "What is this plane called?"

"Honestly, Morrel, do you think I know everything?" Mizuki smirked, then with a flash of light, she took Morrel and herself far away from Kamigawa.

*o*o*o*o*

Cards in this chapter... Orochi Leafcaller, Forest (Rob Alexander)


	10. Chapter 10

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 10**

Like the last time, Morrel found himself suddenly in an entirely new world, but unlike last time, it was not an unpleasant shock. The lush forest of the orochi temple was replaced by a different forest, the air warm and slightly dry. Bright sunshine shone easily through the forest's canopy, and everywhere Morrel heard the buzz of insects, cries of birds, and skitters of unseen creatures. Not only that, but a thick carpet of grass grew on the forest floor, due to the trees being thick and hearty, but far apart to allow the sun's light to go right through.

Mizuki's shoulders slumped as she let go of Morrel. "What? We're in another forest? That's just _boring_."

"Well, I'm not going to complain," Morrel said, turning around to get a 360 degree view. The forest looked the same in all directions, with no signs of human habitation anywhere.

"I sure am," Mizuki grumbled, but she tagged along as Morrel set off, the both of them hoping to find civilization soon. After only a few minutes, Morrel tugged on the collar of his clothing, sweat soaking into his clothes.

_It's kind of hot here. Is it summer? _Morrel wondered to himself but anything would beat that endless trek through the Takenuma Swamp. Meanwhile, Mizuki came to a halt, folding her arms in a pout. "What's the matter?" Morrel asked her.

Mizuki motioned with a hand. "This is taking too long," she told him. "Time for a little scouting!" Then, before Morrel could say a word, she pounced into the nearest tree's lowest branches, nimbly leaping from branch to branch until she was many feet off the ground. She clung to a branch with her toes as she swept her gaze this way and that, shading her eyes with one hand and clinging to a branch with the other.

"See anything?" Morrel called up.

Mizuki looked around a little more and shook her head in dejection. "I don't think – wait!" She tensed, fixing her gaze in a new direction. Then she leaped down, tugging on Morrel's arm. "I saw a fire! There's someone here."

Eager to see who was there, Morrel hurried along with Mizuki, his battlemage cloak billowing as he sprinted through the idyllic, spacious forest. Indeed, he saw a blaze of red fire up ahead, and his stomach lurched in anticipation. _Someone's got a camp here. Who will –_

Morrel stopped dead when he realized that the flames weren't in a camp fire, but were part of a person's body. Four humanoids stood in a nervous group, their torsos bared to reveal their compact, black-skinned bodies. Flames coated their arms and shoulders, and flames even came from their eyes and rested on their spiny heads like hair. The four fire beings tensed when Morrel and Mizuki approached, their arm fires suddenly growing bigger. "Who are ye? Friend or foe?" the nearest fire creature hissed, its voice having an echo quality.

"I am Morrel, a friend," Morrel rested a hand on his heart. "My friend and I are lost travelers. Could you show us the way to a town, or even a camp?"

One of the other fire creatures wasn't so friendly. "Bad enough we get lost here in Gilt-Leaf Wood, far away from our mountain homes," it rasped, hunkering down as though it planned to pounce. Its head fire blazed tall. "Now we find strangers! Be you changelings, who not know how Kithkin really look?"

Morrel's gut squirmed. "I beg your pardon? We are human. Human! We mean no harm." He offered a placating smile. "Look, if we're all lost, then we can team up and -"

The unfriendly fire being snarled. "No! Strange people, go away now! We leave before elves find us!"

Mizuki shook her head, dejected. "This is crap, Morrel," she muttered to him. "Let's get away from these freaks already. Maybe we can find these elves and they can show us the way instead."

"Worth a try," Morrel quietly agreed, then he announced, "Fire beings, we will part ways. I apologize if we caused you distress."

The polite fire being bowed its head. "We are the flamekin, odd one. We got lost, that is all. Best of luck on your journey. We must be gone, though, before -"

The flamekin tensed, its blazing eyes widening as a number of hunting horns echoed throughout the forest, raising the hairs on Morrel's arms and neck. Mizuki clutched at Morrel's arm, eyes wide. "What was that?"

Before anyone could say a word, a number of brown-coated hunting hounds burst out of the foliage, pouncing on the four flamekin. One of the flamekin lashed out a hand, conjuring a whip of flames that roasted a hunting dog, throwing its charred body aside. The other flamekin went down, however, leaving them vulnerable for the next few arrivals. A number of elves clad in green and brown hunting gear leaped expertly through the tree limbs, even more agile than Mizuki. They fired their bows and arrows as they went, and the shafts stabbed into the flamekin, making them writhe in pain.

"Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!" Morrel recited quickly, and he was just in time. He and Mizuki hunkered down behind the blue-gold barrier just as a flight of arrows rattled against the magic shield, but the focused, piercing attacks broke through and the arrows clattered to the ground as the barrier fell to pieces.

"My barrier isn't good against piercing attacks," Morrel groused. "Get ready, Mizuki!"

The Kamigawa Planeswalker manifested her giant right arm, but the elves had drawn their swords and engaged the flamekin in furious combat. The two sides clashed with an unnerving ferocity, and one of the flamekin easily fell before the elf onslaught. Right before it fell, however, another flamekin plunged its hands into the other, drawing out a great amount of fire. It used this fire to blast away the nearest elves, burning them and throwing them to the ground.

"Just what was that?" Morrel gasped as the dead flamekin collapsed to the grassy ground. "That other flamekin..."

"Watch out!" Mizuki cried as another few elves burst from the foliage, attacking from behind. Mizuki's giant right arm swatted aside an elf, but then another elf's arrow pierced her arm, and she shouted and fell to her knees, blood leaking from her wound. Enraged, Morrel hurled a knife at the offending elf, but the elf ducked and rolled, letting the knife thud into a tree's trunk instead. A third elf swung a midair kick at Morrel's head, and the Bant battlemage twisted away from the blow. The kick swished through empty air, and Morrel grabbed the elf's leg, shifting the elf's momentum and controlling it. Now out of control of his movements, the elf could only squirm as Morrel slammed a knife into his chest, taking him down. Morrel let the elf fall, then yanked his knife out of the dead elf and hurried to Mizuki's side.

"I think that will be enough," a new voice demanded, a flat, strong tone. Morrel beheld a new party of elves emerge, these elves taller and more heavily armored than the ambushers. Curled horns sprouted from their temples and their faces were beautiful and stern, man and woman alike. They carried large pikes in their hands, and used these pikes to swiftly decimate the surviving flamekin. Morrel stood his ground to fight back, but the surviving ambushers and the tougher elves surrounded Morrel, forcing him to lower his arms. Two elves grabbed him by the arms and another one held up the weakened Mizuki, keeping her head upright.

Morrel's heart hammered with tension, but he decided to stay docile for now and watch as the elf's leader approached him, a particularly tall and tough man with large horns. The elf knelt before Morrel, closely examining his face. "What are you?" the elf asked. "Are you the bastard offspring of Kithkin and elf?"

_Why doesn't anyone recognize us as human? _Morrel wondered. "My name is Morrel, and I am a human. More importantly, I did not mean you any harm. I'm afraid this is a simple misunderstanding."

The elf's eyebrows met in a frown. "No tribe goes by the name 'human'. Are you a playful changeling?"

"No, not that. This is really what I look like," Morrel cajoled the elf, but the elves grew impatient. The leader thrust his spear tip close to Morrel's throat, and another elf put his spear right at Mizuki's neck.

"Do not waste our time!" the elf leader roared. "We are the Gilt Leaf tribe, the most powerful of them all! We control the lands, these forests, and neither those dirty flamekin nor you may so callously intrude!"

Mizuki groaned, and Morrel wondered if the arrow that had hit her was poisoned. She muttered something, and an elf leaned closer to hear. Then, Mizuki wrenched her right arm free and lashed out, her talons gouging into the elf's chest. The elf stumbled and hit his back against a tree, clutching at his injuries.

"What is this?" the leader barked, stomping over to Mizuki as she was further restrained. The elves stretched out her giant right arm and held it in place, and the leader crinkled his nose. "Both of these 'humans' are ugly invaders, but this arm is an abomination beyond compare! Remove it!"

"N... no!" Mizuki cried weakly as an elf drew his sword and swung it down at Mizuki's shoulder. Thinking fast, Morrel accessed his white magic and a circular set of runes appeared in the air, taking the elf's arm from existence. His sword fell to the ground and the elf howled, clutching at his shoulder where his arm had been.

"Silence! Well, these ugly strangers have some fight in them," the leader asserted, leaning in close to examine Mizuki's face. Then he straightened up. "Very well! We're taking them back to the camp, and we'll figure out what to do with them. Erimas will figure out what to do."

An elf blinked. "Are you sure, sir? She is very busy, and may not have time for..."

"She can make time!" the elf leader barked in the other's face. Then he motioned, walking off into the woods. "Let's go." At the same time, Morrel's thrown knife was removed from its tree and returned to its owner.

Morrel undid his Oblivion Ring, restoring the elf's arm in a flash. That elf glared at Morrel but didn't say anything as both Morrel and Mizuki were dragged off into the woods.

*o*o*o*o*

"I have to say, it's pretty convenient how you can use that vanishing ring when you're stressed," Mizuki admitted, not long after she had been given an antidote for her poison. She and Morrel sat in the confines of a tent in the elf camp, guarded by four sword-wielding hunter-elves. Both humans were bound in vine-ropes.

Morrel once again tested the strength of his bonds, but he could not break free. _I can't use my naturalizing spell on these binds because they're natural plants. Well, it would be rather difficult to escape this camp even if I freed myself. _"Yeah, I guess. Still, it's the mark of a great battlemage to not need the verses anymore." He hung his head. "I have yet to reach that point. Raphael discarded verses when he was only 10."

Mizuki made her ever-present smirk. "That must really sting. Jealous?"

"H-hey," Morrel squirmed against his ropes, irritated. "That's not nice. But... yeah. It stings."

Before he could say anything else, the tent flap opened and an elf entered, slicing Morrel and Mizuki's bindings with a hunting knife. "You will be brought before the Perfect of our camp," he declared, hoisting Morrel and Mizuki up. "Follow."

The Perfect turned out to be an elf lady with dazzling beauty, her horns smooth and graceful and her body lithe. She regarded Morrel and Mizuki with half-closed eyes, her lips parted slightly. Morrel tried not to blush before her deep charms. _No wonder the elves defer to her, if they really value appearance so much!_

"Jeez, Morrel. Don't gawk," Mizuki muttered bitterly in Morrel's ear. Ignoring her, the Perfect took a step closer, pondering Morrel closely.

"You call yourself human? Not Kithkin or elf or changeling?" she asked, pointing at him.

"No." Morrel shook his head. "And I insist that we mean no harm to elf-kind."

"But you have still intruded in our Gilt-Leaf Wood," the Perfect reasoned. "Surely, this demands retribution of some sort."

Mizuki snapped. "Let us go already! I'm tired of your beauty-freaks."

The other elves stiffened and reached for their sword hilts at this affront, but the Perfect merely smiled and raised her hands. "I am a lady of fairness, after all. A test of strength and willpower would impress me... and earn my blessing to walk the Gilt-Leaf Wood without any trouble. What say you?"

Morrel's eyes widened. "A ritual battle?" _Now she's talking! Finally, someone with an idea of honor and justice._

"Yes," the Perfect nodded. "If you should win, you will have my word, as Perfect Erimas, that you will forever be a friend of the Gilt Leaf elves. Will you accept?"

Gesturing at his Planeswalker friend, Morrel asked, "Doesn't she get to try if she wants?"

Erimas blanched. "Never, human! She is tainted with unbearable evil in her arm. No blight may show itself in our forest. It must be you."

Mizuki's expression soured, but Morrel quickly agreed to keep things smooth. "I will accept," he said.

*o*o*o*o*

In another, larger tent, Mizuki sat on a wooden stool as Morrel did a few pre-battle stretches, then he settled down to meditate. The terms of the engagement rang in his head, as Erimas had explained them. Mizuki watched in amusement. "Nervous?" she asked.

Morrel finished muttering a prayer to Asha, the legendary angel who had long ago battled Malfegor, then stood, removing his glasses. "To be honest, yes. I'm not allowed to use my throwing knives or anything. In straight-on melee battles, I've never been the best."

"Oh, please," Mizuki rolled her eyes, whimsically digging her toes into the dirt. "Chickening out already? Has Raphael really beaten you that many times?"

"Don't pry," Morrel offered brightly, but his gut squirmed in anxiety all the same. He tossed off his battlemage cloak, then slipped off his leather vest. Last, he undid the buttons to his long-sleeved shirt and placed it with his other clothes, revealing his somewhat well-built torso.

Mizuki flinched, turning away with a toss of her black hair. "Wh-what the hell, Morrel? No warning?"

Morrel could see her blush and he grinned. "What's the matter? Haven't you seen a man without his shirt on before?"

Realizing that this was payback for earlier in Kamigawa, Mizuki made an embarrassed chuckle. "Very funny," she said, folding her arms. "Get out there and win us our freedom already."

"Already ahead of you," Morrel said, exiting the tent and approaching a wide circle drawn into a forest clearing with a sword. The carved ring was, by Morrel's estimate, twenty feet in diameter, enough room to move around but difficult to escape the enemy for long. A few trees were at the circle's circumference. Morrel stood at his appointed side of the circle, and another elf approached the other side directly ahead of Morrel, a bare chested man about Morrel's size.

"Now, warriors, your test of wit and strength is about to commence," Erimas declared, surrounded by her admirers. "Morrel, why are you worthy?"

The Bant battlemage took a deep breath. "I have trained since a very young age for honorable combat, to serve my king with unwavering loyalty and courage. Upon victory or death, I serve my liege and the justice of combat."

Satisfied, Erimas turned to the other elf. "And you, Lazimas?"

The male elf called Lazimas stood tall, his head held high in obvious contempt for the human before him. "I am as graceful as a deer leaping a stream and as deadly as the wolf waiting in ambush on the other side," he intoned. "This I have proven many times to my fellows. Warriors such as I are the eyes of the forest as well as its unsheathed claws. I have won the respect and admiration of many, even envy."

"Most magnificent," Erimas smiled, and the other elves voiced their support for their champion. "Now, Morrel, Lazimas, begin!"

Morrel lowered himself slightly and raised his hands, prepared to read his opponent's movements. He was caught by surprise when Lazimas cleared the circle in one pounce, his foot smashing into Morrel's head. Gasping, Morrel tumbled awkwardly backwards, head ringing. _These elves have cloven, hoof-like feet! Hurts to get kicked by that. _Lazimas swung his foot down to bash in Morrel's head, but the movement was slower than before. Morrel twisted out of the way, lashing a quick counter kick at Lazimas' flank. The elf slid out of the way, then swept his leg to break Morrel's knees. The Bant battlemage pushed off the ground, raising his legs to avoid the blow.

"Most nimble," Lazimas noted, then shoved his head forth and rammed his horns into Morrel's gut. Morrel felt his chest ache as he stumbled back, barely on his feet. He stumbled back like a drunkard, and Lazimas dealt a few, rapid blows that had Morrel cowering by the circle's edge, aching all over.

_I have to be faster! He's both fast and strong, _Morrel grumbled. _Damn him! _Lazimas charged, swinging a foot through the air. Morrel blocked it with his own kick, both contestants' legs crossing each other. Morrel wrenched Lazimas' leg away and struck with his fist, but the elf was faster, and his other foot bashed into Morrel's shoulder, throwing the punch off-balance.

Furious, Morrel swung a few more blows, trying to catch up to Lazimas' rapid movements. His blind attack did little, however, and Lazimas struck Morrel's chest with another punch, sending Morrel reeling back yet again.

Lazimas stood tall, beckoning with a hand. "What is the matter, human Morrel?" he asked. "Finished already? I am ashamed. You are the first of your kind I have ever seen, and this is all I get?"

Morrel gasped for breath, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He had a few dark blue bruises on his chest, but no bones broken. He flexed his muscles to will himself back to fighting condition, muscles rippling under his skin. "No, not yet. Ready for more?"

Lazimas, in fact, resumed the offensive, but Morrel could start to read the patterns of the elf's attacks. _I'm getting used to his speed. I can find an opening! _Morrel narrowly dodged a kick, then blocked a punch and threw his own punch. Lazimas kicked Morrel's fist aside, then swung his own fist at Morrel's head, his fist a mere blur. Morrel's eyes widened, and he could track the fist going through the air. He twisted out of the way and rammed his fist into Lazimas' gut, and the elf doubled over from the sudden blow, clutching at his belly.

"How's that?" Morrel taunted, then Lazimas stood upright again, his face alive with glee.

"Very good!" the elf declared, then attacked again, darting from place to place to overwhelm Morrel's guard. Morrel felt himself fall behind again, and he winced as he endured another blow to the chest, and a hard kick to the leg. He started to fall, but changed his collapse into a duck, and Lazimas threw a kick that swished through empty air. Morrel seized Lazimas' leg and shifted his momentum, forcing the elf further forward. Morrel drew back his leg and slammed a powerful kick onto Lazimas' back, the solid _thud _echoing through the clearing. Lazimas tumbled onto his stomach, but was still in the ring.

Morrel took this chance to catch his breath, sweat running down his bare skin. His scalp itched and his hair felt damp with sweat. _It took all I had to get him down, but this match isn't over. The first person to surrender, get knocked out of the ring, or become "ugly" will lose. But... how can I do that? Lazimas is holding back. I can feel it!_

Lazimas got to his feet with more strength and grace than Morrel liked. "Let this charade end. I will show you respect by using my full ability to end this quickly," the elf said, and a second later, Morrel was on the ground, amazed by the hurricane of blows that Lazimas unleashed. Morrel got to his feet, but his knees buckled and he almost fell over again. It was all he could do to avoid Lazimas' blows, slowly backing up toward a tree. _I can't keep this up! Just a few more hits and I'll –_

Another blow smashed into Morrel's head and his vision flickered, his head aching beyond belief. He angrily swung back, making his blows as random as possible. Lazimas evaded the sloppy attacks and knocked aside Morrel's arms, then doubled the human over with a punch to the stomach. Morrel stumbled back to the tree's trunk, horror welling in his stomach. _Every time I feel Lazimas hit me, I remember the time Azrael crushed me and humiliated me. Why can't I get the strength to resist evil and prove myself? What am I... just a weakling?_

"This should do it," Lazimas figured, drawing his fist back for a finishing blow. Beyond trying to counter-attack, Morrel could only watch the blow go through the air, watching how Lazimas' body moved to complete the attack. Then, he saw it: the path the fist would take, the balance of Lazimas' body as the blow unfolded. Before he could even think, Morrel slipped away from the blow, almost seeing the momentum of Lazimas' attack like an aura. He seized the elf's arm and tapped into that channel, forcing Lazimas to lurch forward in a new way. Morrel positioned himself behind the elf, letting go of his arm as Lazimas' fist passed the tree, his face close to the trunk. Morrel raised his left leg and bunched up his muscles, then lashed out, striking Lazimas' head and smashing it against the tree with all the strength he had left.

Lazimas shrieked as his head was bashed into the tree's hard branch, a tremor running down his body. He stumbled away, all fighting spirit lost. With a look of horror, he slowly raised a hand to his face, his fingers running over his broken and crooked nose. Blood ran down his face from his twisted and mashed nose, and his eyes widened in shock at his disfigurement.

"It is done!" Erimas declared. "Lazimas, your beauty has been tarnished, while Morrel remains beautiful. The human is the winner!"

Morrel didn't expect a storm of cheers from the elves, and even Lazimas bowed his head in respect. "We were wrong about you, beautiful stranger," the elf said, using a new term for Morrel. "I am humbled. The Gilt Leaf is a welcome place for you and your friend."

Morrel slumped to his knees, trying to focus past the pain of his countless bruises. "Th-that's great."

*o*o*o*o*

The sun was still high in the sky when Morrel and Mizuki departed the elf camp, the former re-clothed and healed, the latter still looking grouchy.

"They should have let _me _fight in that duel," Mizuki grumbled as she tromped along, her bare feet soft on the grass. "I saw all kinds of ways I could have forced the elf out of the ring."

"Well, I still did won, didn't I?" Morrel smiled, earning him a swat on the shoulder. "Ouch! I'm still sore!"

"Whatever," Mizuki shrugged. "Still... you did well. Even though you seemed to lose yourself several times."

Morrel frowned. "Getting beaten by him reminded me of what Azrael had done to us. I couldn't bear to let it happen again. It just made me mad."

"Sheesh, I thought your honorable Bant training would stamp that out of you," Mizuki figured. "You were right about that grudge thing. You can't let anything go."

"Oh come off it," Morrel tried to change subject. Out of his pocket he drew out the elves' gift to him, a thick tree twig infused with magic. "This will help us find the way. I just think about a Kithkin town, and..."

He snapped the twig in half, and a stream of green and blue sparks of mana drifted out like bees, focusing into a trail that wound through the forest. "There. We just follow that, and we'll find a town. They called this a wanderer's twig."

"Yeah, and this thing is called 'moonglove extract', according to the label," Mizuki added, drawing a sealed vial of thick liquid out of her own pocket. She read more of the label. "Wow. A concentrated drop can kill a giant!"

"Wh-what the? The elves just gave that to you?" Morrel gaped. "Such a treasure?" Seeing the playful smile on Mizuki's face, Morrel became stern. "You _stole _that from them?"

"That's right," Mizuki declared proudly, tossing the vial up and down as she walked. "Stupid pointy-ears were jerks the whole time. This is my revenge. After all, such a thing could come in handy."

Morrel shuddered. "Those elves had such grace and a hunter's instinct. You just swiped that off someone?"

"Wasn't that hard. I've been a thief and infiltrator for years," Mizuki reminded Morrel. "Let me do my thing. My skills can come in handy, you know."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Morrel winced. "And according to the elves, this Plane is called Lorwyn. I like that name."

"I guess it's okay," Mizuki shrugged. "I hate the people in it, though."

"Of course."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Forest (Steve Prescott), Seething Pathblazer, Gilt Leaf Ambush, Nath's Elite, Hindering Light, Oblivion Ring, Imperious Perfect, Elvish Warrior, Wanderer's Twig, Moonglove Extract**


	11. Chapter 11

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**A/N: **Every year on Lorwyn, there is one true night when the Aurora appears, and this event is celebrated by the Kithkin. Sometimes, there is a Great Aurora instead, and this changes Lorwyn into Shadowmoor. In this chapter, an ordinary Aurora takes place.

**Chapter 11**

_I want to be remembered when I die._

A blue-skinned man sat cross-legged on a short grassy cliff, a hilly expanse of plains stretching out before him. The warm sun had sunk to the horizon, but to the Vedalken's surprise, the sun never sank below the mountains at the horizon's edge. Rather, it hung there as though in suspended animation, leaving the world in a reddish semi-twilight for a few hours. Now, it slowly made its way back up toward the noon position.

The Vedalken, named Rohkan, closed his eyes and pursed his lips, his four hands joined together in concentration. Nothing, not the light wind, the warmth of the sun, the cries of birds, or the feeling of grass could distract him from his meditations. Planeswalking to this idyllic place gave him the idea to look within himself for a time, even though Azrael's Planeswalker enemies would probably arrive here soon. Rohkan focused to his thoughts, praying that his death would be one of significance and not one of futility.

_I was shunned and mocked by those I called my friends and family, _the Vedalken thought, a faint flame of anger flaring deep in his mind. His frown deepened. _Back on Mirrodin, my people demanded that I tinker with metals and ponder the mysteries of the world, and treated me as an outcast and fool when I digressed from their ways. So what if I cannot grasp the finer workings of the Knowledge Pool or create wonders of metal? I have my own purpose and destiny in this world, even if my people ridiculed and harassed me! When a malicious youth and his friends beat me and moved to strike me with their blades, a spark within me took me far away and opened my eyes to the true extent of the world._

Rohkan lessened his frown as he changed to a better part of his mental reverie, straying away from bitter memories. _And now, Azrael has promised me strength and significance should I serve him. Millions of his people need our help. If my own folk will not appreciate me, perhaps others will. I will matter! I will be needed and appreciated by others!_

Some time later, the Vedalken stood slowly, unfolding his arms and flexing his twenty fingers. His leather armor vest felt a little itchy on this warm Plane, but he paid little mind to that. His cloth shorts and leather ankle-high gladiator sandals, however, were better suited for this world's climate and for minimizing body weight during a battle. Why would one wear bulky, heavy armor that slowed the body and hindered movement? Rohkan could not understand. If you were fast and could strike down your foe in an instant, there was no need for armor in the first place.

Then, a number of grunts and howls paused Rohkan along with a number of footsteps. He whirled around and beheld a gang of four bulky beings with bluish, plasma-like skin that constantly shifted and contorted like thick liquid. They bore armor and swords, but their equipment morphed from their bodies as Rohkan watched, and then the creatures snarled in excitement and extended their body-swords for the kill.

Rohkan resisted the urge to shake his head in disappointment. "You four are fools. You have already hesitated to strike. Therefore, you have already lost." The Vedalken rested two hands on the hilts of his shorter swords, starting to draw the blades out. At this threat, the four creatures pounced, howling and swinging their swords for the kill.

The creature nearest Rohkan mightily slashed its sword down at Rohkan's head, but the Vedalken easily stepped out of the way, placing himself into the creature's most vulnerable spot in one step. His two short swords fully came out of their sheathes and sliced the creature into three pieces in a flash, and the pieces thudded wetly to the ground. The other three backed up warily, blank eyes watching Rohkan warily. The Vedalken pointed both of his drawn swords at them and rumbled, "Come of you have the courage, or flee, if you do not!"

Two of the creatures turned and bolted, but the last one morphed its body, becoming taller and thinner. Rohkan's eyes widened at the sight: the creature morphed itself into a perfect likeness of himself, swords included.

_Are these things changelings? They must be, _Rohkan figured as he stared himself down. The changeling drew its four swords and leaped for the kill, and Rohkan decided not to disfigure himself too badly. He sheathed one of his short swords and let the changeling come, then flashed his one sword though the air in an instant. The changeling-Rohkan stumbled to the ground, its four amputated arms falling to the ground. The changeling shrieked in terror and then fled, reverting to its blue, squat form as it sprinted away. The four arms on the ground quickly dissolved into mist.

Rohkan let the changeling flee, then sheathed his last sword and set out, walking at a brisk pace. He didn't even break a sweat from fighting the changelings, but was most amused by their abilities. _That Shard will be mine._

*o*o*o*o*

"You're _what, _now? I can't hear ya!"

Morrel stomped a foot in frustration. He and Mizuki had been traveling on a dirt road through the Lorwyn plains all day, and this nearly-deaf Kithkin farmer wasn't providing much help. The short humanoid leaned on his rake, cupping a hand to his ear, face scrunched in concentration. His straw hat twitched in a warm breeze.

"We... are headed... to Kinsbaile!" Mizuki roared, following the guiding words of a Gilt Leaf elf patrol that she had encountered earlier, after leaving the camp where Morrel won their freedom. "Can you lead us there?"

The Kithkin deepened his frown even more, then his eyes suddenly snapped open. "Ooooooh, _Kinsbaile_! The capital city!" the short man exclaimed, suddenly standing upright.

"What did you think we said?" Morrel asked, confused. _What sounds similar to "Kinsbaile," anyway?_

The farmer pointed down the road. "You're-a goin' the right way. There be a fork in the road 'bout three miles down, and ya take the right and you'll pass over a bridge. Mind the merfolk tricksters who live 'round those waters, okay?"

Something suddenly occurred to Morrel. "Will the people of Kinsbaile greet us warmly?"

"Sure, sure!" the farmer beamed, spreading his arms wide and dropping his rake. "The Aurora celebration's tonight! No one's going to get gutted or stomped on a merry night like this one! Just don't act mean or anything, and yer goin' to be fine. Just be polite to them border guards."

"Thank you for your guidance," Morrel bowed his head, then led an irritable Mizuki down the dirt road, taking her hand and tugging her along.

Down the road, Mizuki wrenched her hand free of Morrel's and folded her arms in her usual pout. "I wanted to kick that yokel across his farm," she fumed. "He didn't take anything we said seriously! And he could barely hear us."

"It's no big deal now. I'm more curious about this Aurora celebration he mentioned," Morrel mused. He tugged at his shirt's collar to cool off a little. "How come this event will make everyone relaxed and welcoming?"

"Well, it sounds like a huge party to me," Mizuki shrugged. "But how can that get us any closer to the Sphere of Ages shard that Geyosha told me is here? We need a lead, and soon. I can't stand the idea of just wandering around!"

"Relax. We'll find a way," Morrel said bracingly, but Mizuki did have a point. All the same, he and Mizuki followed the farmer's guidance, taking the right path and crossing a solid stone and wood bridge. The sun had fallen to the horizon and was starting to come back up, leading Morrel to believe that Lorwyn had no true night. Still, the tall mountains in the far distance hid some of the sun's light, leaving the world in a gold-orange twilight. Once he and Mizuki crossed over a tall hill, he beheld a sprawling city comprised of mostly two and three-story wooden buildings, as well as numerous wells and garrisons.

_Whoa. This is it! _Morrel thought, excitement bubbling in his gut. Mizuki didn't look as enthusiastic, but Morrel felt cheery as he led the way down the hill and to the city's border. Stone walls bordered the city and a number of armored Kithkin armed with axes and spears manned the defensive positions.

"Halt there, travelers," one of them declared, and Morrel and Mizuki stopped right in place. "What be your business here? And..." He squinted. "What be you? I never seen anyone as tall as you both!"

"We are travelers from afar, but we come in peace," Morrel bowed courteously. "My name is Morrel, and my friend is Mizuki. I hear that the Aurora celebration will be very soon?"

The guard brightened and the other guards babbled excitedly. "Yes, yes!" the guard whooped. "Very soon! Everyone is getting ready in the town square. Join us, Morrel, Mizuki, and revel! Just a quick weapons check first. Can't be too careful..."

The guards concluded that a collection of throwing knives and a vial of moonglove extract weren't too dangerous, so Morrel and Mizuki entered Kinsbaile in all its activity and revel. Here, hundreds if not thousands of Kithkin swarmed everywhere, putting up banners, loading feast tables, and preparing various entertainment exhibits. Jugglers, musical bands, magicians, exotic animals, and much more assembled in the vast town square, and a particular Kithkin stopped before Morrel and Mizuki.

"Are you the two the guard captain told me about? The tall beings from afar?" the Kithkin asked. He held himself like a king, formal and precise. His clothing was somewhat simple but pompous at the same time.

"Yes," Morrel nodded. _Wow, word travels fast!_

"I see. Welcome to Kinsbaile. I do hope you enjoy your visit," the Kithkin said, his tone smooth and formal. "I am the Cenn's heir, and she is not in good health, I regret. I am organizing this Aurora celebration in her stead."

Morrel guessed that the "Cenn" was the mayor of Kinsbaile, but another question burned on his mind. "What can we expect today?"

"The best Aurora yet," the Cenn's heir explained. His tone didn't change, but his eyes came alive. "The sky rains a wondrous liquid, the sky grows dark, and lights glow in the heavens for hours on end. When the revels die down, we sleep under the lights for good luck. The next day... it's business as usual."

"Sounds fun. We'll be on our way," Mizuki said impatiently, dragging Morrel toward the town square. The Cenn's heir nodded solemnly and wandered off, barking orders at various people to keep them working efficiently.

"What was that for?" Morrel frowned. "This celebration sounds more exciting all the time."

"Who cares about the party?" Mizuki sighed. "We need a lead for the Sphere piece. It'll bring us one move closer to solving our quest, and a cure for my curse. This is just a stop for the, uh, night. If you can call it that."

Forcing a smile, Morrel encouraged her, "Come on, it won't take us too long. We can get information from the people while we're here. The Sphere shard will probably be big news, considering the power the original Sphere had. It'll hardly be a subtle thing."

Mizuki brightened marginally. "Well, that's a start. Let's see how it goes."

The sky started to darken again, the lights changing from golden-red to purple and gold instead. Morrel skirted the edges of the festivities as the celebration began, watching the sparring matches in particular. Kithkin fencers crossed blades in roped-off enclosures, showing off their grace and skill before amazed crowds. The feast tables were untouched, though, as though everyone were waiting for a cue before eating. Morrel found Mizuki sitting on a public bench near a storyteller, and joined her on the bench and spoke above the roaring crowds. "Find out anything?"

"Not... yet," Mizuki admitted. "No one seems to know anything about strange phenomena going on around here. There's some Kithkin army officers here and some troops, but I don't know what they're here for. Not for partying, I can tell you."

"I saw them too," Morrel admitted. A number of Kithkin knights roamed the festivities, and he could tell that they didn't come from the Kinsbaile guard force. _Just what is going on here? All this has to be connected. The officers being here at a party, the Sphere being on this Plane, the lack of opposition we've had... what is yet to come?_

A drop of liquid fell on Morrel's head, and for a second he wondered if a passing bird had excreted on him. Not so: silver clouds had assembled over Kinsbaile, and they were raining. The Kithkin, as a whole, broke away from their loud activities to swarm to the feast tables, seizing the mugs and glasses there. They raised their glasses to the sky, catching the rain drops that fell.

Mizuki lowered her arms from her pout, eyes widening. "What in the hell? Do you know what that's for, Morrel?"

"I... dunno. This is one eccentric Plane!" Still, Morrel stood and wandered over, remembering the Cenn's heir's word about a rainfall. Just for amusement, Morrel took two mugs and wandered back to Mizuki, giving her one.

"Um... thanks?" the Kamigawa Planeswalker wrinkled her nose as the rain started to intensify, thick drops falling everywhere. For some reason, Morrel saw flashes of gold light among the raindrops in the air.

"Why not? Let's see what this is all about," Morrel smiled, raising his mug like everyone else. Grunting her irritation, Mizuki nonetheless raised her mug too, and the raindrops quickly accumulated. The clouds shifted to admit more sunlight, and the light rays passed through the raindrops, making them all shine like liquid gold. Morrel checked his mug, and the liquid inside had turned gold like beer.

The Cenn's heir stood on a platform, head held high. "And now... we drink! As one!" he declared, taking a draught from his mug. As one, all the Kithkin drank from their glasses and mugs, and Morrel and Mizuki did the same. At once, Morrel felt his mind and body grow light, as though he were relieved of all worldly burdens. The warm rainwater tickled his throat on the way down, and he felt suddenly giddy and relaxed as though he had taken medicine. From the look on her face, Mizuki seemed much the same.

"And now," the Cenn's hair bellowed, "We eat! We drink! We remind ourselves that this is the _Aurora!"_

The Kithkin crowd exploded in cheers as some swarmed to the feast tables and the others returned to their activities, the rain receding as they went. The clouds parted and the sky grew darker, much faster than normal.

"Look, Morrel! That Aurora's about to start!" Mizuki told him excitedly, clinging to his arm and pointing up at the sky, all smiles. "Isn't this great?"

"I know, right?" Morrel smiled back, craning his head to look up at the now-dark sky. Torches blazed to life in the town square. "We really came to the right place! Who needs Sphere shards anyway?"

No matter what they were doing, all the Kithkin craned their necks up and beheld the glory of the Aurora, as curtains of ethereal light flashed to life far overhead. Green, blue, red, yellow, and other colors wavered and shone in the heavens, and Morrel felt his heart swell with joy and wonder.

"It's so pretty, Morrel!" Mizuki howled as everyone else raised a racket. She was almost hopping in place. "Look at that! Amazing!"

"I know, right?" Morrel repeated himself, lost in the wonder of the Aurora. Maybe it was the gold rain's effects on him, or maybe the Aurora really was that majestic. He tried not to think about it too hard as he and Mizuki partied with the other Kithkin, the hours flying by. After some time, Morrel settled on a wide bench along the east side of the town square, his belly full, mind abuzz, and body tired from dancing and partying. Cisterns had collected the gold rain for free refills, and Morrel had taken a new draught. Life was perfect right now!

Mizuki wandered over, her movements a little awkward. She threw herself onto the bench next to Morrel, looking tired but happy at the same time.

"I love this place. I love going from one Plane to another," she admitted to Morrel. "Isn't it fun?"

"It is. I'm glad we can see all this new stuff together," Morrel agreed, and Mizuki leaned against him for warmth and comfort. He wrapped his arm around her, the movement completely natural.

"You make a great travel companion," Mizuki added, a little woozy. "You're funny, and strong, and courageous."

"Yeah..." Morrel quietly agreed, wondering what Raphael and King Ledram would think right now. Brave adventurer, wild hedonist, or confused youth? Maybe all three. Either way, he held Mizuki tight, pleased by her company. "I like having you along. I think being with someone very different than me helps me realize who I am."

Mizuki hiccuped. "Does that mean anything?" she wondered. "I thought we were the same. Two of a kind."

"In some ways, yeah," Morrel corrected her. "But in other ways, very different. That makes this more fun... and fulfilling. Stay with me, Mizuki. Okay?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Mizuki smiled, playfully running her hands along Morrel's lap. She blushed. "You're a great guy, and funny and strong."

"You already said that," Morrel laughed, but he appreciated it all the same, trying not to blush too. "But don't forget, you're a nice girl once I get used to you. Tough, smart, driven... I like you a lot." The gold rain in is belly made his mind and tongue rather loose, but he didn't mind.

Mizuki giggled, embarrassed. "You don't have to say that. I'm just..."

"Well, I _do _think so," Morrel said earnestly. He ran his hand though Mizuki's hair, then along her gently curving jaw.

Mizuki started to shy away nervously, then decided against it and threw herself against Morrel, sending the both of them tumbling to the hardened dirt of the town square. Morrel decided to lie down on his back, and Mizuki curled up next to him, now embracing him. "Mmmmmmm..." she hummed with content. "You know, I like you a lot, too! You were right. Being with someone different makes me think of myself differently and realize who I am. I don't know why I didn't admit all this stuff before, but it's true."

_It might be the effects of the gold rain on both of us, _Morrel figured, but he didn't mind. "I understand. We'll go looking for that Sphere shard tomorrow, okay? For now, let's just be together."

"Yeah. You and me," Mizuki giggled, clinging tightly. "You know, I didn't forget when you took your cloak and shirt off for that duel with the elf. I think you're pretty sexy."

Morrel chuckled, not feeling the slightest embarrassment. "Thanks. You're pretty cute, you know. Even if your temper gets nasty sometimes."

"Oh, I'm not going to be angry," Mizuki promised lightly. "I feel too good for that. Ugh... I'm... tired. Aren't you?"

"Kinda," Morrel yawned, looking up at the Aurora's dancing lights. His body suddenly felt heavy. Mizuki, meanwhile, promptly fell asleep, resting her head on Morrel's stomach. The Bant battlemage didn't mind at all, and he soon fell asleep himself.

*o*o*o*o*

The world seemed a little hazy to Morrel as he awoke, but that was probably just the after-effects of the gold rain. Morrel blinked and sat upright, sitting on the compact dirt of Kinsbaile's town square. Debris from the party was scattered around but Kithkin worked diligently to get it all tidied up. The sun shone bright and steady overhead, showing no hint of the Aurora from earlier. Morrel shook his head and it almost cleared free of the intoxicating effects. Almost. _What in the world? Did I really say all that stuff? _He realized in horror, remembering what he and Mizuki had told each other the night before. His stomach writhed in embarrassment. _No way!_

"And I thought that _I _would get up last," Mizuki's voice joked, and Morrel nearly jumped out of his skin. Calming himself down, he got up and turned to behold his friend. She had a small smile on her face and had her arms folded, tapping a bare foot on the dirt. "Finally up, huh?"

"Yeah," Morrel agreed, a little wobbly on his feet. He squinted at the glasses Mizuki wore on her face. "Hey, nice glasses."

Mizuki adjusted them a little on her face. "Thanks. They fit pretty well."

"I wonder where my own glasses are?" Morrel wondered, feeling his bare face. Then, it hit him. "Hey, those _are _my glasses!"

Mizuki playfully dodged and evaded Morrel's grasps for his glasses until he finally got a hold of them and fitted them on his face. "Okay, so are we ready to go?" Morrel asked, hoping to get back to business.

As an answer, Mizuki backed up a pace and jabbed a thumb at a Kithkin officer who approached them. "Yeah. This is Golmey, a Captain in the largest Kithkin army, and he has recruited us as volunteers for his general's plan."

The armored Kithkin nodded. "To clarify," he said in a deep, sharp voice, "I serve General Olwart, who leads his army on a most noble crusade. His spy squadrons have located an object of great magic power on an island that the elementals have artificially created. They are hoarding it for themselves, and we plan to overcome anything in our way to secure it and seal it away. Such power does not belong in the hands of wild ones like the elementals, or goodness forbid, the boggarts or changelings."

Morrel's stomach leaped. "What exactly is the object?"

"We are not certain, but we will find that out soon enough," Captain Golmey asserted. "We have some friendly ties with the Gilt Leaf elves, and they have told us of your great prowess. I assure you, my General will find a way to compensate for your assistance. Will you help us?"

_This General Olwart sounds ruthless, but I have no ties to this land. I will avoid evil and go along with him to find the object. No doubt, it's a Sphere shard! _"Yes, Captain. I am honored."

"Very good," Captain Golmey nodded crisply, turning and walking away. "My men are about to leave this town. We came here to resupply and will rendevous with the rest of General Olwart's forces at the Double Spire. Prepare to head out in one hour."

Morrel didn't know what the Double Spire was, probably just a natural landmark. He couldn't resist a salute as Captain Golmey marched off, then turned to Mizuki. "Looks like you got your lead nice and quick!"

"It helps to be assertive," Mizuki said in a most self-satisfied tone. She motioned. "Let's get some breakfast and head out. This city stopped being fun anyway."

"Yeah. That Aurora was so great..." Morrel mused as he and Mizuki walked to a tavern.

"I know, right?"

"Right," Morrel said. "But, uh..."

"What?"

"We were kind of crazy last night, and some of the things we said... were rather, um... look, it was just the gold rain talking, okay? We were making up all kinds of things..." Morrel tried not to go red, wondering how much of what he and Mizuki had said was true.

"S... sure." Mizuki looked away timidly.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Plains (Warren Mahy), Changeling Sentinel, Kinsbaile Borderguard, Cenn's Heir, Luminescent Rain, Preeminent Captain**


	12. Chapter 12

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 12**

The mountains of Lorwyn rose high in the ever-sunlight sky, their jagged peaks thrusting out of the lush terrain like primordial teeth. It was morning and the flamekin that lived here swarmed about their mountain home, for the most part living a secluded life from the rest of the inhabitants of Lorwyn.

Then, on a particular slope along the mountains, a sudden, otherworldly disturbance scattered the flamekin. A swirling flash of blue, purple, and pearly white mana sent the flamekin fleeing in terror, the creatures unable to comprehend the phenomenon. From within the light appeared a figure, a man who knelt on the rocky slope with one fist on the surface for stability. He wore a blue robe inscribed with black runes, with golden thread running along the hem and seams. The man stood upright, his robe parted to reveal the silver-blue armor he wore underneath.

"Looks like I landed rather far away from everything. I'll need to hurry," the man muttered to himself, surveying the scenery. His short brown hair ruffled in the wind and his honey-brown eyes widened to take in everything before him. _This is where Geyosha told me a Sphere fragment is. No doubt, one of Azrael's minions is here somewhere, along with those two new recruits Geyosha found. This could get messy, but I, Veldor, will not fail._

Veldor raised his left hand, its elaborate, brass-colored etherium surface catching Lorwyn's sunlight brilliantly. The artificial limb clanked and whirred smoothly and firmly, and Veldor clenched his hand into a fist and focused, channeling a little black mana through the mana conduits running through the arm. A sword-like silver blade shot out of the forearm, extending a foot and a half past the wrist. Veldor retracted the blade and numerous poison darts poked out, ready to fire at Veldor's command.

Satisfied for now, Veldor retracted all of his arm's weapons and lowered the limb, already missing the cold winds and clear, starry skies of his native Esper. _Well, the Filigree sages and the sphinxes would no doubt honor me for bringing them the teachings of the Sphere of Ages, even if that sphere is never used. _Deciding to not waste any more time, Veldor tensed his legs and pounced much farther than one would expect, skidding down the mountain slope before leaping again, covering over a dozen feet with each leap. The etherium plating on his armored legs glowed bright in the sunlight, enhancing his body beyond normal capabilities.

_But of course, _Veldor reminded himself, _I only seek to improve the weak fleshy body and find metal perfection._

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel trudged down the dirt road along with Mizuki and Captain Golmey's force, over a hundred armored Kithkin swordsmen, archers, and pikers. Idyllic meadow scenery went by as the procession progressed, passing by flower fields, patches of sunlit forests, and creeks bursting with fish and merfolk wanderers. According to Golmey, the Double Spire was still another day's march from here, so everyone would find a town to spend the night and then continue from there to the rendevous point with the main army.

"General Olwart is renowned throughout Lorwyn," Captain Golmey reminded Morrel yet again, puffing out his chest in pride. A few birds flitted past overhead as fluffy clouds roiled gently in the winds. "Anything we want, we can get from our fellow men and women! Our noble crusade has support throughout the lands, and no foul beast or marauder will ever see us fall. And your offered help is much appreciated, human travelers."

"Sure, anytime," Morrel said, scratching his head. _I still can't shake the feeling that this General Olwart is scheming something big. I'd better watch my back and make sure that I'm not dragged too far into it. Mizuki and I must get that Sphere shard and run! _Something else occurred to him and he shivered. _Azrael or his minions had better not interfere! We only narrowly beat Maretta last time, and Azrael himself was a monster. Who knows what other allies Azrael has?_

Mizuki walked alongside Morrel and poked him in the side. "Why the serious face?"

Morrel jolted. "I-it's nothing."

"It didn't look like 'nothing'. Come on, what're you thinking?"

Dropping his voice, Morrel explained, "I'm sure you felt it too, but this General Olwart and his army sound kind of fishy. I think we should get that Sphere shard quickly and Planeswalk away as fast as we can manage."

"You're telling _me_?" Mizuki smirked. "The master thief? I already decided to snatch the Sphere shard out of Olwart's little hands and bail out. Just make sure you don't slip up or slow me down."

"You always think I'll slow you down," Morrel complained, voice still quiet. "Who's the one who won our freedom from the Gilt Leaf elves? Huh?"

Mizuki's lips curled into a playful smile. "You just never get angry at me, do you?"

"Uh, what?"

"Maybe it's the Bant training you went through. Maybe it's your own sense of respect to others. Or you're saving up your rage for one big explosion."

Morrel couldn't make any sense of that, but anything was better than dull walking with Golmey's forces. "What are you getting at, Mizuki?"

The Kamigawa Planeswalker folded her arms and tossed her hair. "You're an odd fellow, Morrel, being all patient and honorable all the time, but getting furious and going into a rage during combat. I don't understand you, but I want to."

"You're that interested, huh?"

"I think I've said it before, but you're very different from most folks I've ever seen," Mizuki told him. "And, well... it's fun prodding you and seeing how you react. You're like a puzzle... and you know how deft I am with solving tricky things. I think I've got you all figured out!"

_Well, isn't she presumptuous? _"Oh, yeah? What am I like, then?"

Mizuki glanced up at the sky as she thought it over. "You take your kingdom's ideas of honor and respect very seriously, but living in your brother's shadow makes you secretly quite volatile. You bottle up that anger at being inferior and when you fight an enemy, you let it go."

Morrel thought it over. "You know, that _is _kind of how it is," he admitted slowly. "But there's bound to be more to it than that."

"Like what?"

"Like... I dunno, but what about you? It's easy to see what you're like."

"Because I've already explained. I figured you out all on my own."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I think you're prodding me for more reasons than just figuring me out. I think you're lonelier than you realize."

Mizuki started to go pink. "Yeah, right."

"No, really," Morrel pushed on, cracking a grin. "I think you've grown quite comfortable around me, and you value my companionship much more than you let on. You want to understand my heart so you can bring it closer to yours." His grin broadened. "Am I wrong?"

Mizuki went redder and shoved Morrel's shoulder. "You know what, never mind. This is boring. Let's just walk and admire the scenery, or whatever."

"You're just making it more obvious," Morrel teased her. "There's no bigger 'yes' than changing the subject."

As a reply, Mizuki held out her right arm, the skin starting to blacken and her fingernails growing into talons. "Are you sure you wanna push me, Morrel? Huh?"

Morrel raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win."

Mizuki returned her arm to normal. "Damn right I win."

"Halt!" Captain Golmey barked, raising a hand. His troops came to a stop, right on the banks of a river. A large patch of trees stood on the opposite bank, with all manner of creatures flitting about in the foliage.

"What is it?" Morrel asked.

Golmey sniffed the air. "Boggarts," he hissed. "A whole camp!" He gripped his sword's hilt. "Get ready, men. They could be anywh -"

Out of nowhere, a fish flew through the air and smacked Golmey's head with astounding force, making a loud _slap _and knocking his head to the side. The Kithkin Captain drew his sword and growled, looking for the instigator. From the riverbank rose a short creature with reddish-black skin and primitive, camouflaged armor: a goblin, or a boggart, as they are called in this Plane. The giggling creature danced on its feet, pointing at Golmey. "Gotcha, gotcha!" it howled. "Noggin Whack! Noggin Whack!"

Seething, Captain Golmey raised his hand and pointed at the boggart with two fingers, and the archers got the message. They drew back on their bowstrings, and the boggart shrieked and jerked as arrows riddled its body. With a burst of blood, the creature slumped to the riverbank.

_That was... kind of extreme, _Morrel gaped. _That boggart was only pulling a prank! Golmey could have easily scared it off. What is he..._

"Now for the rest of them!" Golmey barked, raising his sword. He led the charge over a stone bridge on the river, Morrel and Mizuki hurrying to keep up. The Kithkin force swarmed into the forest, scaring off the wildlife. It didn't take long for Morrel to first smell the target, and then see it: a whole camp of reddish-black boggarts. Campfires, tents, and shaman huts filled the clearing, with over two dozen boggarts going about their business. Inexplicably, their activities seemed to involve pies filled with strange ingredients, even maggots. The boggarts rose to their feet, chattering nervously.

"What business do you have here?" a boggart with an elaborate headdress demanded, approaching Golmey and standing tall.

"Nice camp you have here," Golmey leered at the boggart. "You are of the Squeaking Pie tribe, aren't you?"

"Yes! We are the Squeaking Pies!" the boggart replied defiantly. "What business do you have here – how dare you?"

Golmey thrust his blade close to the boggart's chest, the sword tip right a the creature's skin. "Lowly vermin!" the Kithkin Captain snarled, and his men deployed in a circle to trap the boggarts, weapons drawn. "Not worthy to walk the lands of Lorwyn! Give us everything of value you have. Maps, weapons, potions, gold, everything! Or you die!"

Morrel stared. _What is going on? How does this involve capturing the Sphere shard? Unless these boggarts have a useful map to find it?_

The boggarts snapped and complained, but they were outnumbered and surrounded. They grudgingly gathered up all their useful items and put them in a pile before Golmey, and the lead boggart knelt in submission, rage clear on his face. "You got what you wanted, Kithkin monster. Now will you leave us be?"

Golmey raised his sword at the boggart's face. "Not on your life, unworthy scum!" he shouted, and his blade impaled the boggart's head and poked out the other end. Getting the signal, the other Kithkin troops slaughtered nearly the other boggarts in a matter of minutes, sparing only one. Golmey warned that boggart, "Go, and warn the rest of your kind of what is yet to be! This is only the start. Boggarts, merfolk, flamekin, faeries, changelings, all of them! Go!"

The terrified boggart scampered off as fast as it could, vanishing into the woods. Nodding in grim satisfaction, Golmey said, "Good work, men! Gather the goods and we'll be on our way. Double time it!"

The Kithkin troops got out cloth bags from their travel packs, collecting all the items the Squeaking Pie boggarts had surrendered to them. As soon as all the goods were gathered, the Kithkin dragged all the boggarts' bodies into a pile, and Golmey shattered a nearby lamp and poured its oil on the bodies. He got a match from his pack and lit it, tossing it onto the body pile. The boggart bodies caught on fire at once, and Golmey moved his men out before the smell could overpower them.

"Just what _was _that?" Morrel whispered urgently to Mizuki as the troop continued down the open path. "Those boggarts were mere tricksters. They didn't deserve that. They weren't even a threat."

Mizuki shrugged. "I dunno, but it makes no difference to us," she whispered back. "Don't let your heart bleed for everyone, Morrel, or we'll never get anywhere. At least we got some maps from that. That's the important part."

"If you say so," Morrel muttered, but his ominous feeling only deepened. He glared at the back of Golmey's helmeted head. _This can't be right! That robbery and slaughter was unwarranted. Golmey's men follow orders promptly and they fight as a well-coordinated team, but they aren't being professional soldiers. They're merely thugs! By the angels' grace, what have I gotten myself into?_

*o*o*o*o*

As the sun sank to the mountainous horizon and painted Lorwyn red, Captain Golmey led the way to a moderate-sized town with wide, square farm fields on the outskirts. Scarecrows creaked in a light, warm wind, their clothes ruffling on the wooden frames. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses and Morrel caught a scent of roasting meat on that wind, and his stomach growled. _I certainly wouldn't mind a little dinner. I hope we're going to stop for the, uh, "night."_

Captain Golmey stopped his men and turned around. "We will garrison here for the eve, then set out as soon as the sun rises again for the Double Spire."

One of the pikers raised a concern. "Hey, Captain... isn't this town Mulsheea?"

Golmey sighed and slumped his shoulders, his armor clanking. "Don't disturb me with ridiculous legends and other nonsense, soldier. We're bunking here at Mulsheea no matter what kind of tales you've heard. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!" the piker stood up straighter, looking afraid and embarrassed at the same time. With one motion of the hand, Golmey got his men moving down the road again toward the town. Morrel leaned closer to the soldier next to him, muttering his query.

"What was that soldier so worried about?"

The soldier scratched his unshaven jaw. "There be a legend about a screaming, violent shapeshifter around these parts, and it's often seen around here in Mulsheea," he muttered back. "It has supposedly stolen much and killed many, but there's doubt that one being could do so much. More likely, it's a roving gang of troublemakers. And if that's so, we can defends ourselves easily against such a threat."

"I see," Morrel nodded, then went back over to Mizuki, pushing his glasses back into place. "There's a legend about a shapeshifter who often lurks here, and it worries some people," Morrel explained to his friend.

"Really? That sounds like fun to me." Mizuki's eyes glinted. "There are all sorts of legends back on my native Plane. You'd be surprised just how many are based on truth."

Morrel lowered his voice. "But supposedly, this creature is violent and is a thief. I don't like the sound of that."

To that, Mizuki thumped Morrel's chest with the back of her fist, a teasing smile on her face. "This coming from the invincible Bant battlemage? How can we confront Azrael and his minions if you're scared of a little shapeshifter? You sure aren't scared of _me_. Why tremble before this small-timer?"

"Is that what you think?" Morrel chuckled nervously, and Mizuki laughed.

"Quit being dumb. We'll meet the townsfolk and have food, sleep on beds too small for us, then be on our merry way," Mizuki figured, rubbing her hands together with excitement as Mulsheea drew nearer. "And I can see if they have any really valuable stuff."

Morrel's stomach lurched. "Y-you're not going to steal, are you? Don't do that!"

Mizuki's knowing smirk made the Bant battlemage groan.

*o*o*o*o*

Mizuki was right on all counts: the food was rich and filling, and the beds were designed for people whose eyes were on level with Morrel's elbows. All the same, the townspeople eagerly welcomed and sheltered Golmey's troops, proclaiming themselves staunch supporters of General Olwart and his crusade. Morrel inquired to the townsfolk about Olwart's crusade and why he had so much support, but the answers were rather vague. All he determined was that Olwart was working hard for the good of all Kithkin-kind.

While the sky was swallowed up in twilight and the townspeople slept, Mizuki tossed aside her blanket and rose to her bare feet, swiftly but silently moving through her host's house. She and Morrel had slept on the floor rather than the beds, having pillows and blankets for comfort. Even then, Mizuki was not content; the people of Lorwyn all seemed fishy to her, but they had good treasure!

Nimbly vaulting over a sleeping dog, Mizuki landed gently on a rug before the living room's fireplace, eyes scanning the contents of the mantle. Candles, tools, boring stuff like that. Except... for a small treasure box sitting in the middle. Checking to make sure that everyone was still asleep and snoring, Mizuki pranced back into the fireplace and picked up the box's lock, disappointed with how simple it looked. She fished out a hard strip of metal from her pocket, one of her favorite tools. After only a few seconds of working the metal bit in the lock, the lock snapped open and Mizuki beheld a carrot-shaped, finger-sized glass vial resting on a cushion in the box.

_I wonder what kind of magic this is? _Mizuki wondered, holding up the vial with her fingers. She set the box back on the mantle rack and closed it again with her other hand, bringing the vial close to her face. Ethereal blue-white mana swirled within the vial like spirits, writhing and contorting gently like a cloud in high winds. She found its beauty remarkable, and could feel strange magic suddenly tugging at her mind as she brought the vial closer. She was almost mesmerized, unable to take her mind or eyes off the treasure before her.

Snapping out of it, Mizuki slipped the vial into her pocket, smiling with satisfaction. _Must to be worth a lot! There's bound to be some mage who drools over this kind of thing. _Then, a sudden shift in the shadows made her tense, eyes suddenly wide and nerves tingling. Mizuki dropped onto a crouch, rapidly scanning one window after another as a sudden series of soft sounds reached her ears. _There's something here! But damn, it's good at moving. I think it –_

With a sudden, loud cry, the other presence shot through a window and tackled Mizuki from behind, the both of them tumbling across the floor.

"Mine! Give it to me! Give it over!" the creature hissed frantically, clawing at Mizuki's pockets. Unable to see it properly, Mizuki kicked out with both feet and sent her assailant crashing into the opposite wall. She bolted to her feet, right arm growing huge and her fingernails becoming long, ivory-colored talons.

The creature scrambled in the dark, getting back to its feet. "Give that to me!" it howled, then charged through the air for another attack. Mizuki prepared to strike, but then the creature seemed to morph in mid-flight. Suddenly, huge insectoid wings buzzed in the air and the creature took true flight.

"Just what are you?" Mizuki demanded.

The creature suddenly fell to the floor, wings buzzing. "No... no! Not say that! Not ask what I am!" it hissed, squirming. "I not know! Can't... stand it! Can't remember what I am!"

Mizuki hesitated, lowering her cursed arm even though its screamed for blood. She tensed up her arm's muscles. _Just what is this thing? I don't think it's going to attack me anymore._

Suddenly, the creature pounced again, catching Mizuki before she could strike back. It took her to the window and through it, bashing apart the window frame and carrying her into the open twilight. Mizuki thrashed in the creature's grasp, and in the sun's faint light, she realized that it was a blue-skinned woman, her legs and wings like an insect's. Mizuki dug her talons into the fairy's gut, tearing into the flesh. Screaming in protest, the fairy dropped in altitude and tumbled across a farm field of tall corn. Mizuki prepared to strike again, but she lost sight of the fairy even though she could hear it rustling around.

_Just what the hell is going on? _Mizuki raged. _That fairy... it didn't fly at first, but seemed to grow wings out of nowhere! Could this be..._

Something burst out of the corn stalks, but it was no fairy. Rather, a huge scorpion emerged and seized Mizuki's left ankle with its claw, tugging and bringing her to the ground. Her giant right arm lashed wildly through the air but it was too slow: the scorpion's stinger came down and impaled Mizuki's chest, spreading its venom through her body. Unable to help herself, Mizuki threw back her head and cried out as loudly as she could.

*o*o*o*o*

With a jolt, Morrel bolted upright on the floor, the dark room hazy to his glasses-less eyes. _I thought I heard something! Did someone scream? _He checked the room, but the two army soldiers slept soundly in their beds. Worse, Mizuki's blanket lay empty, and Morrel realized that she was somewhere outside and in trouble. Heart hammering and mind whirring, Morrel slipped on his battlemage cloak and boots, sliding his glasses onto his face. He tore through the dark house and burst out the front door, cool evening air whipping past his face. _That scream came from outside in one of the fields! What is going on?_

The streets were completely empty, and Morrel had no audience except the stars in the darkest horizon as he tore through the town toward the sprawling fields. He strained his ears for another sound but caught nothing, and his body started to ache from running and his breath came in gasps. He angled his run and approached one of the fields just as a sudden burst of sound emanated from the endless corn stalks. Something was thrashing around, or perhaps two.

"Mizuki! Are you there?" Morrel bellowed, desperately hoping to hear something else. The thrashes continued but he couldn't tell where exactly they came from. Morrel tore through the cornfield, wishing he knew a good wind-type spell to blow all the stalks away. Then, the commotion came to him: a huge fairy burst into the air, and Mizuki clung to it, the both of them grappling for control.

Morrel reached into his robe, retrieving three knives from his pockets and hurling them as hard as he could at the both of them. Mizuki squirmed to avoid the projectiles, but one of the knives sank into the fairy's gut and made the winged woman cry out and spiral down into the corn. Morrel chased after it and reached a small clearing where the struggle had knocked away the corn stalks, but something was wrong: the fairy was gone, and Mizuki was grappling with a Flame-kin, the tough humanoid chasing her around with blasts of fire.

"It's a shapeshifter, Morrel! It dragged me all the way here!" Mizuki shouted a warning, swinging her cursed arm at the attacker. The Flame-kin pranced out of the way and kicked Mizuki away with a flaming foot, sending her tumbling into the cornstalks. Morrel pushed off the dirt and threw a wide kick at the Flame-kin, but the nimble creature ducked and threw a flaming fist at Morrel's exposed flank. Morrel landed and twisted out of the way, throwing a counter-punch while the Flame-kin's arm was still outstretched. The Flame-kin ducked and swept its leg in an arc of flame, knocking Morrel to the ground on his back.

_Damn it! This guy's fast! And nimble, too. _Morrel scrambled back to his feet and rejoined Mizuki, but she seemed wobbly on her feet.

"Damn thing stung me as a scorpion!" she explained, clutching at a pierce wound on her belly. "My body aches and I feel the venom slowing me down. This monster is fast and crazy!"

The Flame-kin growled and took a step forward, but then its skin turned blue and its whole body morphed. It grew taller and thinner, becoming a perfect likeness of Morrel himself. The Bant battlemage gawked, unsure what to make of that.

Then the changeling pounced, aiming not for Morrel but for Mizuki. The Kamigawa Planeswalker gestured with her left arm and sent a cluster of black mana tendrils at the shapeshifter. The assailant evaded the tentacles but then Mizuki conjured a few more that impaled the marauder, and Morrel landed a heavy kick to its side. The shapeshifter tumbled to the ground, and Morrel pounced for the finishing blow. In an instant, the shapeshifter turned blue and became long and wide, and Morrel gawked as it took the form of a scorpion. It bashed Morrel to the side with a claw, knocking him to the ground. Its stinger rammed into his leg, the biting pain making him gasp.

"Just... what _are _you?" Morrel grunted as the scorpion hissed and skittered toward him. At the query, the shapeshifter suddenly screeched in agony and backed up, its body suddenly morphing into various shapes in rapid succession. Trembling from the venom, Morrel slowly got to his feet and prepared another few throwing knives, since his running would be impeded by the venom. The shapeshifter became Morrel again, and the clone Morrel hurled its knives at Mizuki. She merely threw herself to the ground to avoid them, the venom making he too clumsy to dodge any other way. The clone Morrel advanced for the kill, but the real one threw his knives to distract it. Then, Morrel raised his hands and let his blue and white magic flow through them. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!"

Several blue-white shields encased the shapeshifter, trapping it in place on all sides. Morrel took this chance to limp toward the creature, Mizuki angrily striding toward it.

"Die, stupid thing!" she howled, raising her giant right arm for the kill. Morrel held her back, however.

"Wait! Something is wrong here. Let's not kill it just yet."

Mizuki wrenched her arm free, giving Morrel a withering glare. "You'd better be right, or I'll tear it apart!" Her breath came in gasps and her black hair was tangled and sweaty from her exertion.

The shapeshifter, meanwhile, struggled in the magic shields and then went limp, once again flicking through various forms. Morrel lowered his shields and gave the creature one good hit on the head, and then it became a merfolk and slumped weakly to the dirt.

"I... I can't go... on," the merfolk gasped wetly. "I-I can't..."

"Is this another shape, or your real body?" Morrel asked.

The merfolk shakily raised his hands to his face. "I... do not know! Cursed for so long, forced to change my... my body! Can't remember, can't be myself, can't hold back!"

Mizuki crept closer, alarm on her face. "Cursed?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I... remember!" the merfolk gasped, squirming on the ground. "I-I-I... have never been struck like this. The memories are coming back! I was... a fish-man... a... merrow. Was cursed by shape changer, took many different forms. Couldn't figure out what I was... had to become everything, see everything! Go crazy!"

Morrel folded his arms with satisfaction. "Sounds like our monster legend is really just a victim, a merfolk cursed by a changeling. At least, that's what it sounds like."

Mizuki produced a carrot-shaped vial from her pocket, with ethereal blue and white mists flowing within. "What did you want this for?"

The merrow looked at it. "Kithkin man... put his memories in there... every night. I... if I were to take them, shape myself into Kithkin, become that man! I become that man, have memories and a stable shape, even if not my original one!"

Even though Morrel had no clue how Mizuki came across the vial of memories, he could tell that there was no more trouble. "Well, take comfort in your memories, merrow. But I recommend that you don't steal or hurt anyone anymore. That won't make you feel better, only bring more pain."

"Y... yes, of course," the merrow muttered, starting to crawl away. "Find... water now."

Mizuki slipped the vial into her pocket again. "Thanks for the assist, Morrel. I'll just put this away and... argh!"

Her face screwed in pain and she fell to her knees, and Morrel felt his body suddenly grow hot and heavy. He collapsed, suddenly aware that the venom still coursed in him.

"Oh... yes. Help you. As thanks," the merrow mumbled, then he placed his scaly hands on Morrel and Mizuki's skin. Blue magic glowed to life and Morrel felt the venom's effects fade. The merrow crawled away, and Mizuki and Morrel retrieved the thrown knives. Both humans returned to the Kithkin town for a little more rest.

*o*o*o*o*

"How much longer until you think his memories fully return? Like, his name?" Morrel asked Mizuki curiously as they both marched down the road with Golmey's troops the next morning.

"Whose name?"

"The merrow's, the shapeshifter who attacked us last night."

Mizuki pouted. "Who freakin' cares? It's not our business. I just got up during the evening for a little business, and he broke into the house and carried me off in a fairy form. I hate to admit it, but I really needed you back there. He was ferocious had stung me good."

"I'm just glad I could help," Morrel said. "So, did you find the original owner of the memory vial? Where is it now?"

As an answer, Mizuki cracked a gleeful smile and pulled the vial out of her pocket. Morrel groaned, lowering his voice. "You still have it? How did you come across this thing to begin with?" Mizuki's smile widened. "You _stole _it from someone?"

"You're forgetting who you're talking to," Mizuki chuckled, tossing the vial up and down. "This thing is way too cool to pass up. What kind of idiot puts memories in vials anyway? I wanna keep it. Besides, it's pretty. Makes a good lamp."

_Mizuki just can't keep her hands to herself, _Morrel lamented.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Mountain (Larry MacDougall), Preeminent Captain, Noggin Whack, Stinkdrinker Bandit, Squeaking-Pie Grubfellows, Latchkey Faerie, Giant Scorpion, Seething Pathblazer, Tendrils of Corruption, Hindering Light, Paperfin Rascal**


	13. Chapter 13

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 13**

Walking next to a gurgling blue stream, Rohkan suddenly paused, raising his head and sniffing the warm, breezy air. His hard eyes narrowed as the mingled scent of human flesh, strange metal, and mana wafted from somewhere nearby, and the Vedalken started to walk more slowly. His body tensed and he warily checked everywhere, seeing nothing but playful merfolk gliding through the river and foxes and rabbits meandering the grass. Rohkan's sandaled feet quietly tromped through the grass and he gripped the handles of his longer swords tightly.

Then, four small, thin objects flashed through the air and Rohkan ducked, turning nimbly in the direction the attack came from. He moved his left hand and unsheathed his left short sword, the metal blade deflecting one of the projectiles. It bounced off the metal blade and tumbled in the air, and Rohkan's other left arm caught it.

_This is a poison dart! _Rohkan realized, examining the object for a second. It had a thick green liquid inside its bronze-colored casing, its tip hollow for injection into the target. The smell of the newcomer grew stronger, and Rohkan stood up straight, sheathing his left short sword as a human man approached. He wore silver armor with a parted blue wizard's robe over it.

"I hope you know what folly it is to cross me!" Rohkan thundered, clenching his four hands into fists. "Your needles aren't enough to take me down, human."

"Dodging skills, sharp. Even when you can't see the source of attack," the brown-haired man muttered quickly, not looking Rohkan in the eyes. "Swords at hips. Direct attacks. Not distance."

Rohkan pursed his lips. "Are you listening to me?"

"Uh, yes, I can hear you," the man muttered again distractedly, scratching his chin. "Sorry, but I have to attack you."

Although Rohkan expected little from this mumbling analyst, he was caught off-guard when the man pounced like a flea, covering the distance between them in an instant. The man's left arm was not flesh, but entirely a brass-colored artificial limb made up of elaborate, curling pieces of metal. Plates of similar metal encased the man's shins, probably magically enhancing his speed.

The brown-haired man's left arm swept in an arc toward Rohkan's head, a metal blade shooting out from the wrist. Rohkan's battle-sense warmed him to back up, and he let the man's blade slice through empty air. Grunting, Rohkan leaped back another few steps and drew both of his long swords, raising them to eye level. With a shout, Rohkan swung both swords in wide sideways sweeps at his enemy. The merfolk in the river swam away in fear as both men engaged in combat, and Rohkan felt another thrill of shock as the metal-man blocked each of his rapid sword strikes just with his one blade.

"Predictable," the newcomer mumbled, then ducked another sword swing from Rohkan and darted forward, raising his left arm to stab Rohkan's gut. Frowning, the Vedalken slipped out of harm's way and lashed out with his right foot. He grinned fiercely as his foot smashed into the man's head and sent him tumbling onto the grass, and he swung both swords down for a finishing blow.

The human rolled and let the swords hit empty ground, then nimbly sprang to his feet and slashed Rohkan's left side with his short blade. Rohkan flinched from the unexpected blow, but he ignored the stinging, bleeding wound and slashed his right blade at the man's head. The human blocked with his own sword, but Rohkan channeled his green mana into his limb, and his sword knocked the human's blade away with explosive force. Left defenseless, the human could do little as Rohkan jabbed his other long sword at the human's exposed gut. The silver armor prevented injury to flesh, but the sheer force of the jab blasted the man down a hill slope, tumbling all the way to the bottom.

"You are not bad, human," Rohkan called down, lowering his swords. Green mana bubbled and writhed around his wound, the flesh slowly mending itself. The flow of blood was reduced to a trickle as the wound sealed up.

"I agree," the human shouted up, and Rohkan's eyes widened as he realized that another of the human's poison needles had been jabbed into his left shoulder. Burning pain spread through Rohkan's bloodstream, and the Vedalken angrily wrenched the bronze-colored needle out of his arm and threw it away. His legs grew weak and he fell to his knees, glaring down at the man.

"Who are you, human?" Rohkan demanded. His first wound had completely mended itself, and he channeled his green mana into his blood to purify it. It would be some minutes before Rohkan could fight again because of this poison, though, and his muscles felt weaker by the second.

The man shakily got up; to Rohkan's glee, he seemed to have been quite affected by the blunt blow to the chest. "I am Veldor, master artificer," he called up. "Now, I think this isn't the time to fight anymore. I got enough information on how you fight."

"You think you learned everything about me?" Rohkan snapped back, sheathing his two swords. They felt rather heavy.

"Then again, maybe not. More to know," Veldor figured. "I have to find Morrel and Mizuki, and that Sphere shard before you do. Got to hurry..."

With that, Veldor pounced away on his enhanced legs, leaving Rohkan alone on the hilltop. Rohkan breathed deep to supply his body with oxygen, accelerating his green mana antidote. _Curse that human! He's with the two humans Azrael has been tracking, the battlemage named Morrel and a cursed Kamigawa Planeswalker named Mizuki. _He clenched both right fists. _I will not show any more leniency. Veldor was a fine foe, and he and the others deserve to see my true strength! I will not fail. I must not._

*o*o*o*o*

The Double Spire was pretty much what Morrel expected, a large stone outcropping with two curving points like horns. Golmey's task force marched through the wilderness to reach the Double Spire, and Morrel felt awe as he beheld the rest of General Olwart's army, a mass of many hundreds of Kithkin warriors.

"Look at that, Mizuki," Morrel commented as he stood a short distance away. "Such a mighty army!"

Mizuki glanced at the Kithkin army and yawned. "Yeah, lots of short guys in armor. Exciting."

Morrel winced at her chilly remark. "Well, we _do _need them to find the Sphere shard."

"And that's the fun part," Mizuki grinned, poking Morrel's side. "When do you think we'll get there?"

As though listening, a Kithkin shouted, "Now for the next stage of our plan! Boats have been prepared and we will reach the magic stone's island in due time. Prepare to defend yourselves! Them changelings and elementals won't appreciate our arrival, but we'll show those lowly creatures our righteous might!"

The Kithkin soldiers all cheered and formed up, advancing through the wilderness in lockstep. Impressed, Morrel tagged along near the rear, a bemused Mizuki following along. Hardly an hour later, the alleged artificial island came into view: a hilly mass of rock and grassy dirt situated in the middle of a vast lake, that lake teeming with all sorts of creatures. Their very numbers made the waters churn, but on the coast a number of Kithkin teams dragged forward a number of wide wooden boats, each equipped with oars. The Kithkin soldiers pushed the boats into the water and quickly boarded them, drawing their swords, bows, and pikes for battle. Getting the idea, Morrel climbed into the last boat to enter the water, seated near the back. Mizuki climbed in next to him, her expression queasy.

"What's the matter?" Morrel asked her as the Kithkin started rowing their boat through the hostile waters. The fleet of boats glided easily forward toward the waiting defenders.

Mizuki made a face and held her stomach. "I don't like water or rocking movements. They... make me feel bad."

Morrel couldn't resist a grin. "You get seasick?"

"Make fun of me, and you'll be in that water."

"Sorry."

Olwart's fleet of boats drew nearer to the artificially-created landmass, and the swarming creatures in the lake soon flocked to the boats. Morrel assumed that they were fish or merfolk, but he realized that they were in fact plasma-like blue blobs, each one contorting randomly. He didn't know what to make of this until the creatures swarmed around the boats and burst out of the water, all assuming different shapes.

At once, the pikers on Morrel's boat jabbed their pikes at the creatures, some of which became birds, reptiles, sharks, and many other kinds of animals. The pikers injured a few and sent them splashing bloodily back into the water, but many more rose and assumed various forms, slashing at the Kithkin with claws, tentacles, teeth, even swords. A large silver-skinned, humanoid creature rose from the water and mightily swung its thick sword at Morrel, but Mizuki leaped from her seat and countered the blow with her huge right arm, her talons gripping the blade.

Taking his chance, Morrel threw three knives at the creature's head and clapped his hands together, remotely channeling red mana from his body to the knives. Three explosions rocked the creature, but it shook off the pain and heaved its blade, knocking Mizuki to the floor and sweeping its blade among the Kithkin. They tried to block the blow but the creature's mighty sword knocked several of them into the water, then the creature sank into the waters before anyone could counter-attack.

"Just what are these things?" Morrel hollered to his boat's captain over the din of battle and churning water.

"Changelings! And lots of 'em!" the captain shouted back. "And that was a changeling hero, one of the most powerful types! Get ready for its return."

On the boat next to Morrel's, several changelings clamored onto the boat and all contorted into spiders, their fangs sinking into Kithkin soldiers and flooding their bodies with poison. The spiders skittered all around, enjoying feasting on the Kithkin passengers. The next boat's archers took aim and assaulted the spider changelings with their arrows, sending a few of them crashing back into the water with their bodies riddled with arrows. The rest, however, morphed into bird shapes and flew high into the air, evading the arrows.

To Morrel's right, the changeling hero emerged again, its body sloshing water aside. The Kithkin soldiers tried to attack it again, but then it shrank as it started to contort. The attacks missed as the changeling became tiny, a blue-skinned humanoid with huge fairy wings. It flitted nimbly through the air, jabbing at the Kithkin with its pointy fingers. Every time its fingers touched skin, the Kithkin victim would suddenly jerk and contort, his flesh bubbling and morphing in countless shapes before exploding from the strain. The Kithkin survivors tried to attack back, but the nimble hero slipped by every attack.

"It's turning us into changelings ourselves, but our bodies can't handle the strain!" the captain told Morrel. "Don't let it touch you!"

"Yeah, I figured that part out!" Morrel grunted as he blocked blows from several other changelings that climbed on board. His fists flew in a flurry and drove the changelings back, slugging them on the jaw or kicking them off-board. Mizuki similarly leaped into action, her giant right arm's talons slashing apart two changeling birds that tried to attack her flank. Then, the changeling hero warped another Kithkin with a touch, then darted after Mizuki to do the same to her while she was distracted. She turned to see the hero coming but didn't have time to respond.

Morrel was already working on it. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!" The blue-gold shield materialized between Mizuki and the changeling hero, and the winged creature splatted dumbly against the shield. Shouting her glee, Mizuki darted around the shield and conjured several black tentacles of mana, thrusting them at the winged enemy. However, the hero recovered and dodged the attack, then transformed back into its huge state, swinging its huge blade. Two changeling humanoids grabbed Mizuki from behind to leave her open to attack, and she smashed them away. Still, the hero struck her with its sword, cutting into her side and sending her rolling across the boat's wooden floor.

Alarmed, Morrel charged at the changeling hero but howled as another changeling morphed into a bull and gutted him with its horns, smashing him to the boat's floor with its strong hooves. His body aching from the blows, Morrel reached out with his left hand as the bull-changeling tried to stomp his head apart. A sudden white circle of mana appeared and caged the bull, warping it from existence.

The changeling hero hesitated, unsure what to make of this. Grinning, Morrel got to his feet and clapped his hands together, conjuring the bull once again. It emerged in mid-charge to impale Morrel again, so he slipped around the creature, grunting as he fought to control its momentum. The bull grunted as Morrel threw its charging body at the changeling hero, and neither shapeshifter could react in time: the shapeshifter bull gutted the hero with its horns and both creatures were knocked to the boat floor. Mizuki pounced on them, her right arm raised for the kill. She conjured several more black mana tentacles that impaled both creatures, then swept her massive right hand. Both injured shapeshifters howled as they were tossed into the water, sinking to the lake's bottom.

"Good one, Mizuki," Morrel panted. Barely enough Kithkin survived the attack to row the boat forward at a decent speed.

"Yeah," Mizuki panted back, clutching at her sword wound. "I'll have to patch this up, but it looks like we're getting close."

Morrel saw what she meant: several Kithkin boats broke under the changeling assault and sank to the lake's bottom in pieces, but the rest of the craft drew close to the island, the troops on board fiercely fending off every changeling and elemental that tried to get close. Morrel and Mizuki fended off occasional changelings that tried to get on their boat, and after a time the changelings and elementals called off their assault and swam away in defeat, letting the surviving boats dock on the island.

"Hey, there's a cave here!" Mizuki commented as she and Morrel climbed an island on the hill. Indeed, a rocky mound near the eastern shore had several openings to a small cave network, and Morrel guessed that the Sphere shard could be inside.

"It's a possibility," Captain Golmey said as the other Kithkin troopers spread out over the island to start searching. He gathered a cluster of his soldiers and told them, "Escort Morrel and Mizuki into the caves and search for the magic stone. Go!"

The Kithkin obediently led Morrel and Mizuki into the caves, lighting lanterns to help them see inside. Water dripped from stalactites in the cave's interior and the air was chilly and damp, making Morrel shiver. _But still, if we get the Sphere shard, it's worth it!_

"A dead end?" Mizuki seethed as the cave came to a dead halt. She glared at the unyielding wall of stone. "I guess there's nothing here. It was a dumb idea to check here."

"Heard many legends of treasure hidden in caves?" Morrel teased her.

"Too many, I guess," Mizuki scowled. "Well, we – yowch!"

She yelped as a Kithkin jabbed her with a needle, and she slumped to the damp cave floor without even fighting back. Morrel tried to make a move but a needle to the back flooded his body with numbness. He could only gasp in shock as he fell to the floor beside Mizuki, staring up at the Kithkin troopers.

"Sorry, humans, but this is as far as you go," the group's leader declared. Two of his men tied up Mizuki and Morrel with ropes, fastening their arms and legs.

Morrel worked his increasingly numb jaw. "Wh... why?"

The group leader spread arms for emphasis, his expression maniacal. "General Olwart fights for the future... a future ruled by Lorwyn's greatest race, the Kithkin. We won't let you steal this magic stone from us! With it, we can become the uncontested masters of this world, just as we were always meant to be!"

"You... you're a monstrous idealist!"

"No, my great General is, but I and the others resolutely follow him," the leader smirked as both humans were securely tied up. "Thanks for helping us get here, humans, but you are no better than the other dirty races of Lorwyn. We'll just keep you here and find that magic stone on our own. Enjoy the cave!"

The Kithkin soldiers shared a laugh as they marched out of the cave again, leaving Morrel and Mizuki alone in the dark.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Island (Warren Mahy), Regenerate, Changeling Hero, Giant Spider, Avian Changeling, Mothdust Changeling, Nameless Inversion, Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Taurean Mauler, Oblivion Ring, Preeminent Captain**


	14. Chapter 14

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 14**

"Damn that... shrimpy little bastard!" Mizuki's voice raged weakly against the needle's toxins. Morrel could hear her thrashing around in a puddle. "How did I... not see this coming?"

"I didn't... catch it, either," Morrel strained against the numbing effects of the poison. He tried to squirm in his bindings, but he was like a fish on land. "And I thought I was good at reading people's intentions..."

Mizuki snorted impatiently in the dark. "Oh, please. _I'm _the subtle one, not you. I'm the one who tidies up your messes."

Anger burned in Morrel's gut. "Say what? You're the one stealing things and making things complicated. Don't pin this on me." A second later, the cooled off a little. "Sorry, but I just can't believe this."

Without answering, Mizuki squirmed and thrashed on the cave floor, grunting and growling as she splashed in a puddle, but she gave up when she yelped in sudden pain.

"What was it?" Morrel asked, alarmed.

"Cut myself on a rock," Mizuki answered tightly. "Hey... wait! You can dispel enchantments and artifacts, right? A naturalizing spell?"

_That's it! _"Yeah, just give me a second. I'll melt my ropes, then yours. Hang on." Closing his eyes, Morrel drew upon his green mana, reminding himself that it was his weakest color besides red. _Blue and white is my thing, but I can dissolve artificial things okay. This rope is nothing! _Then, lying flat on the cool cave floor, Morrel intoned, "Beasts of burden, birds of flight, trees of fruit, gardens of flowers, nature does not tolerate artifice in her bosom!"

The cave started to glow a little as Morrel's green mana vapors came to life, settling onto his ropes and starting to dissolve them. Suddenly, the ropes erupted in bright, colorful blasts like fireworks and Morrel cried out in shock as he was singed by the reaction. The green mana vapors faded, returning the cave to darkness. The ropes suddenly felt hot.

"What the hell was that? Did your spell backfire?" Mizuki asked incredulously. Her disappointment was clear.

"No, it was resisted," Morrel realized. The ropes chafed against his clothes. "The ropes must be enchanted to resist spells like that. Sorry, but I'm stumped now."

"That can't be right. You freed me from that powerful whip back on Kamigawa, the one Maretta used. Remember?" Mizuki encouraged Morrel.

The Bant battlemage shook his head even though Mizuki couldn't see him in the cave's darkness. "Your strong, defiant willpower greatly boosted that spell. Alone, I couldn't have done anything against an enchantment whip that strong."

Mizuki sighed loudly and flopped again, splashing water around. "Damn it... DAMN IT!" she roared, and Morrel heard her ropes strain loudly and a series of loud thumps echoed in the cave. Without a doubt, Mizuki's rage triggered her cursed right arm, but not even her giant arm could free her, despite her feral struggling and incoherent shouting.

"Quiet, please. I don't like loud sounds, just so you know," a detached, calm voice suddenly said, and Morrel perked as a sudden light glowed in the cave, coming closer at a steady pace. Several sets of footprints heralded the arrival of a new party, and before long, a man in silver armor and a blue-black cape knelt beside him. A glowing sphere of light rested on the man's right hand's open palm, making his face look rather pale. The man appeared to be in his late 20's, with short brown hair and eyes of the same color, and more interesting, his left arm was made entirely of a bronze-colored metal, with countless curvy and pointed pieces of metal making up the whole limb.

"Who are you?" Morrel asked tensely. He relaxed as the other people entered the light, revealing themselves as the proud, horned elves of the Gilt-Leaf Wood.

"Look, my name's Veldor, I'm a Planeswalker on your team, but that's not important, I have to get you out, um, important things are happening," the man mumbled quickly, reaching toward Morrel's ropes with his metallic left hand. A blade shot out of the arm's upper wrist that sliced through the ropes. Morrel stood shakily, drawing himself to his full height.

"My thanks, Veldor," Morrel bowed his head. "Your rescue is most graciously accepted. I see that the Gilt-Leaf elves are with you?"

"Beautiful stranger, I feel compelled to aid you in your time of need," one of the elves said respectfully, and Morrel recognized the regal humanoid as Lazimas. Morrel's chest ached with the memory of their duel. "This man tells us that he is an ally of yours, so we accompanied him."

Something was missing. "How did you know where to find me? Are the Kithkin after you?" Morrel inquired.

Veldor scratched his brown hair, clearing his throat and avoiding eye contact. "Listen, there's, um, a Vedalken swordsman here, and he's a servant of Azrael, and we have to get past him to reach the Sphere of Ages shard."

"You didn't answer the question," Morrel squinted, but he was alarmed at the news of another minion of Azrael's.

"Oh, sorry, I followed the Vedalken here, because he's after the same thing as us. We have to get moving, right now," Veldor explained awkwardly, turning to the cave entrance.

Morrel took only one step to follow Veldor and the elves when a sudden shout made everyone jump. "It's oh-so-wonderful to meet you, Veldor, but _will you untie me too, damn it?" _Mizuki roared from the cave floor, and Veldor moved his light to illuminate her.

"Sorry, forgot about that, was distracted," Veldor rambled, kneeling by Mizuki and cutting her ropes. She shrank down her cursed right arm and rudely bumped past Veldor, joining up with Morrel.

"So, are you going to help us out?" Mizuki asked as the party advanced through the cave by Veldor's light.

"We have to reach the Sphere shard at once. The Kithkin are fighting off a new assault of changelings and elementals who want it for themselves," Veldor said.

Morrel frowned and leaned close to Mizuki, whispering, "This guy hardly listens to a thing we say!"

"He's much more interested in his own nonsense," Mizuki agreed scathingly. "And he's awkward as hell. I bet he'll never get a girl's clothes off."

Morrel jumped. "Wh-what in the world?" Mizuki only smiled tauntingly and shoved his shoulder.

Veldor was right: once outside the cave, the whole elemental island came into view and carnage covered it from shore to shore. General Olwart's soldiers exchanged blows with the eternally shapeshifting changelings and elementals of all kinds. A flying, fish-like elemental suddenly took to the air, holding a glittering object in several small arms that sprouted from its belly: the Sphere shard! Morrel recognized the glittering shard of the melon-sized Sphere of Ages, but a Kithkin archer downed the elemental before it could get far. The Sphere shard was lost in the carnage as it fell back to earth, and Veldor led the way to it. Extinguishing his palm light, the mysterious, metal-armed Veldor led the way into the carnage, his cape billowing as he strode quickly past the struggling combatants. The Gilt-Leaf elves pranced along with him on their powerful legs, and Morrel and Mizuki did what they could to keep up.

Then trouble came.

From the battle stepped an imposing figure: a towering, blue-skinned humanoid with a tall bald head and four arms. He had a hard and stern face, and four swords total were sheathed at his waists. His only armor was a leather vest and cloth shorts, along with straw sandals on his feet. Still, his well-defined muscles left no doubt that he had no need for armor plating.

"We meet again, Veldor. Did you follow me here?" the blue-skinned man demanded, pointing at the other with his upper left arm.

"You're easy to follow, and I've got friends, so you'd better surrender," Veldor told the blue man awkwardly, jabbing his metallic left arm's finger at the blue man.

"Oh, this is great," Mizuki groaned.

The blue man only grunted in laughter and took a step closer, resting all of his hands on his quartet of swords: two long swords, two short, all of them with curved blades. "You hardly have the heart of a warrior, Veldor. I pray that your companions do, or I will finish our little battle with ridiculous ease!"

Veldor backed up a step. "Morrel, Mizuki, this is Rohkan, he's a Vedalken from a Plane called Mirrodin. He is a swordsman and can amplify his strength with green mana and poison darts have a limited effect on him. Be careful."

"Be careful?" Mizuki repeated with a laugh, stepping forward and extending her bare right arm. "Why don't you just watch me, Veldor? I'll show you how to fight!" As she spoke, her right arm swelled and grew black and wiry, her fingernails becoming sharp white claws. The Gilt-Leaf elves recoiled from the sight but held steady, their eyes not leaving Rohkan for even a second. Swallowing hard, Morrel stepped forward and took his place by Mizuki, raising his knives to a ready position and crouching slightly to lower his center of gravity. Several changelings tried to flank Morrel, so the Guilt-Leaf elves went off to stop them.

"Hmmmm. Good. You both seem competent," Rohkan observed. In a flash, he unsheathed all four swords and held them at the ready, his legs tensing for a pounce. "Then you both will help me prove my strength by dying by my hand!"

Morrel was ready for Rohkan's attack, but was not ready for its nature: the Vedalken warrior sprang through the air, raising all four blades high for a vicious downswing. Both Morrel and Mizuki stepped out of the way, but the very earth shuddered and cracked as the four blades slammed down on the soil.

"Whoa!" Morrel fought to keep his balance as the earth shattered into pieces underfoot, his carefully-wrought combat posture slipping at once. Mizuki similarly fought to keep her balance, her mismatched arms waving in the air to prevent from falling over. Rohkan quickly looked back and forth between Mizuki and Morel, trying to decide which to attack first. Making up his mind, the Vedalken pounced after Morrel, all four swords slashing viciously through the air in a dizzying array of steel.

_Why me? _Morrel complained, but there was no time for chatter. His nerves felt on fire as he pushed himself to dodge Rohkan's unrelenting assault, ducking and twisting away from each strike that got close. Morrel started to see a pattern in Rohkan's moves and, slipping through several sword strikes, Morrel got close to Rohkan and drew a knife, drawing a thin but long gash across the blue humanoid's chest, cutting through the leather vest.

"Not too bad, Morrel," Rohkan grunted, then bashed Morrel's forehead with the pommel of his lower right sword. Morrel's vision exploded in a bright light and dull pain flooded in his skull, forcing him to reel back. With a heave, Rohkan swung a short sword through the air that Morrel barely dodged, the blade cutting into his chest. Warm blood seeped from the stinging wound, and both of Rohkan's larger swords swung down for the kill.

_No... I can't dodge in time! _Morrel realized, feebly raising his arms to shield his head. Rohkan's swords were denied, however, by Veldor stepping into the fray, his metallic left arm's blade catching both of Rohkan's. Veldor knocked Rohkan's blades away, disorienting the Vedalken and giving Morrel a chance to back up.

"Enough from you, Veldor," Rohkan growled, and Morrel gaped as green flesh grew along the cut on his chest, jade-colored mana mending the injury. Veldor backed up and retracted his sword blade from his left arm, then launched four thin needles from the limb's mechanical structure. Rohkan nimbly evaded them all, but the didn't notice Mizuki leap into the air behind him, her giant right arm raised for the kill.

"Dodge this, blue creep!" she howled, talons slashing through the air. His eyes widening in surprise, Rohkan whirled around and stopped Mizuki's swing with his two large blades, and his other two arms stabbed at her chest with the two smaller swords. Mizuki landed on the ground and tumbled to avoid the smaller swords, swinging repeatedly with her giant limb. Rohkan evaded or blocked every blow, but Mizuki's strength surprised him, and a sword block wasn't enough to stop Mizuki's giant arm a second time. Rohkan was left open, and Mizuki impaled him with three black mana tentacles.

The Vedalken swordsman took a few steps back, grimacing as his red blood dripped to the ground. "You are mighty, woman," he admitted. "More so than either Morrel or Veldor."

Morrel's face warmed. "Hey, you! You think I'm weak?" _How dare he?_

Rohkan ignored him and raised his swords as more green growths started to heal his injuries. "Bring it on, all three of you! I am done playing."

"Hmmmm. Not good. He has much more strength than this," Veldor frowned, placing a hand to his chin. "Attack in concert, everyone."

Morrel hurled three knives at Rohkan and prepared his red mana while Veldor conjured his left arm's blade and attacked, then Mizuki swung with her cursed right arm. Rohkan stood stock-still, letting all three attacks come close. Then, just as Morrel clapped his hands together to make his knives explode, Rohkan suddenly spun in a circle, faster and faster as he swished his four swords in a whirlwind of metal. Morrel's exploding knives, Veldor's blade attack, and Mizuki's arm were all easily knocked away like a hurricane tossing trees away. Mizuki howled as blood leaked from the cuts on her enlarged right arm, and Veldor was sent flying and tumbled away on the grass.

"This is what I call the Red Whirlwind!" Rohkan declared. He charged after Mizuki, his blades still raging in the whirlwind. Fighting past his injuries, Morrel got in the way, combining his fighting power with Mizuki's to hold off the marauding Vedalken. Both Morrel and Mizuki strained to hold off the whirlwind, but it was in vain: both of them felt the four blades slice their flesh and both were knocked away yet again.

"I've fought swordsmen before, but never one with _four _swords!" Mizuki cursed, her hair askew and her breathing hard as she fought to get back on her bare feet. Her chest heaved, her wounded right arm flexing its fingers. "Damn it, Morrel, help me out here!"

"Don't worry. I'll get him good with my ring of oblivion," Morrel told her, annoyed that everyone was underestimating him. "Just let him come back!"

Neither of them had long to wait: Rohkan settled down, then charged for another attack, swords lashing out everywhere. Mizuki met him halfway, her claws intercepting Rohkan's quartet of swords. Then, Morrel focused on Rohkan and recited: "Brightest dawn, darkest eve, tallest peak, lowest valley, this land will not tolerate this being before me!"

Just as Mizuki barely avoided a sword strike, the familiar white ring of mana encased Rohkan, spitting sparks as it started to banish him from existence. To Morrel's shock, however, Rohkan bunched up his muscles and with a blast of red and green mana, dispelled the Oblivion Ring entirely. A second later, he pointed a sword at Morrel and channeled red mana through it. With a jab of the sword, a thick beam of fire shot out and washed over Morrel, the intense heat sending waves of pain through Morrel's body as he was thrown aside by the intense attack. Mizuki slashed at Rohkan and conjured her mana tentacles as backup, but Rohkan swung his other three swords, a wave of flames nullifying Mizuki's assault. With a simple sword strike infused with fire, Rohkan blasted Mizuki away, sending he injured girl tumbling near Morrel.

"You're damned useless!" Mizuki raged as she scrambled to her feet. Morrel tried to get up too, but in her rage Mizuki swatted him aside with her cursed arm. Rohkan walked forward, prepared to make the killing move as the battle continued to rage nearby on the island.

_How dare she? _Morrel seethed, watching Mizuki prepare to defend herself from Rohkan. _And where the hell is Veldor?_

Rohkan accelerated into a run, but instead of striking Mizuki, he jumped past her and swung his blades down at Morrel. The Bant battlemage prepared a Hindering Light spell, but then an armored figure got in the way and took the attack in Morrel's stead. Everyone was shocked by the sight: it was Veldor, his entire body encased in some kind of huge armor suit that extended the reach of his limbs. His head was at least eight feet off the ground, an ordinary human encased in a metal giant's body. The monstrous Veldor raised both arms to block Rohkan's blades, and then blue, white, and purple-black mana flowed through countless grooves on the armor. With a heave, Veldor lashed out with both of his arms and blasted Rohkan away, a heavy _thud _sounding as Veldor's giant metal fists connected.

"Damn you, metal man," Rohkan cursed as he crashed to the ground, slowly getting back up. Large, dark bruises covered his chest as he raised his sword again. "Is this your true strength?"

"Etherium suit operating at maximum capacity. Good," Veldor told himself, then launched himself at Rohkan. The Vedalken issued another stream of fire, but Veldor caught it with his left hand and deflected it, the fire scorching into the earth nearby instead. Mizuki attacked too, her attacks combining with Veldor's to put Rohkan at a disadvantage for the first time. Veldor's metal suit made him nigh-impervious to Rohkan's blades, and the Vedalken suffered several blows at the hands of his enemies. The green flesh started to heal his wounds, but that healing factor couldn't keep up with the many injuries he was receiving.

Suddenly, Veldor's giant suit fell apart, the pieces raining down on the ground and vanishing as they made contact. The Planeswalker landed awkwardly on his feet, unprepared for Rohkan's sudden attack. Veldor shouted in agony as Rohkan's blades cut his flesh, then a kick sent Veldor sprawling. Morrel hurried over to the scene to help, but Rohkan knocked aside Mizuki's giant arm with a burst of strength and tried to impale her. Morrel hurled a knife to stop the attack but missed: the knife grazed Mizuki, cutting loose a bottle that had been lashed to her belt. The glass bottle landed on the ground but did not break.

"You have fought well, Mizuki, but now I finish it!" Rohkan declared, but Morrel's quick Hindering Light created a barrier to briefly stop the attack. Rohkan rained down blows that quickly shattered the barrier, but not before Morrel seized the glass bottle and regrouped with Mizuki and Veldor. The fierce Vedalken charged for another attack, but then Morrel realized just what he was holding. He uncorked the bottle and sloshed its contents on Rohkan.

"Aaaaaargh! What..." Rohkan bellowed as the bottle's liquid contents washed over him, rapidly burning his flesh at the slightest touch. Smoke coiled from his skin as the acidic liquid started to corrode him, and Veldor gaped.

"What is that, might I ask?"

Morrel tossed him the jar. "It's an extract of Moonglove, a native substance." He turned to Mizuki with a wry grin. "Now I'm really glad you stole it from the elves."

Unable to resist a return smile, Mizuki boasted, "See? My methods always work."

Rohkan grunted and groaned from the pain, but the Moonglove Extract ran out of corrosive power and Rohkan's natural regeneration started to mend his wounds. Encouraged by this, he charged for the attack, blades lashing through the air with flames running down their lengths. He was exhausted, however, and a combined poison needle barrage, black mana tentacle swarm, and exploding knives finally pushed him to the edge. Rohkan, battered beyond fighting condition, fell to his knees and looked up. "This has not ended, you three. Count on it." Then he vanished as he Planeswalked away.

Morrel felt elation at Rohkan's retreat, but a second later his injuries caught up to him and he fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath. Mizuki winced as she lowered herself next to him, her right arm still fully manifested. "Don't quit just yet, Morrel," she told him. "We have to find that Sphere shard and get the hell out of here!"

"Follow me. I can find it," Veldor said distractedly, walking toward the battle and motioning with his flesh hand for the others to follow. He had a slight limp, but moved with calm confidence even with Kithkin and elementals trading fierce blows around him. Taking a deep breath, Morrel withdrew a roll of bandages from his belt and hastily wrapped them around his wounds, offering some to Mizuki. She too administered quick medical treatment, then helped Morrel up and they hurried after Veldor, collecting Morrel's thrown knives along the way.

"Just what... argh... was that huge armor suit?" Morrel asked him. His injuries still stung and bled with every movement.

"It, uh, was my Etherium power armor, very useful," Veldor muttered. He held a hand to his wounded chest. "But I can't keep it summoned for very long unless I'm on my native Esper, but that doesn't matter right now."

"Stand and fight, ye dogs, if ye wish to claim the prize!" a familiar voice suddenly bellowed, and Captain Golmey stepped out of the fray, bruised and battered from the battle. "That Sphere shard won't be yours that easily!"

Morrel confronted the shorter man. "You! You think you can throw Mizuki and I in a cave as your prisoners and get away with it?"

"I'll do anything to secure Kithkin dominance, and the Sphere shard is key to that goal," Golmey declared, waving his short sword. "Plus, that woman Maretta would have my head if I were to fail her! She helped set us on the right track, she did."

Alarmed by the name, Morrel turned to his companions. "The Kithkin are working for Azrael! That's why they want the Sphere shard so badly."

"He's got underlings everywhere," Mizuki cursed. "Even if he only has two powerful henchmen, Maretta and Rohkan, there's still the Kami and now the Kithkin! I've had enough of this."

Before anyone could say anything else, Golmey charged at the three humans, sword raised high for the kill. Growling her impatience, Mizuki lashed out her left arm and conjured a cluster of black mana tentacles that impaled Golmey and flung him far away. Riled up by the sight, nearby Kithkin moved to attack the humans. Veldor led the way through the swarm of marauding Kithkin, even kicking some aside to reach the target. Quickly, he scooped up the Sphere shard off the ground, cradling the quartz-like crystal in his metallic left arm. Like the Kamigawa shard, this crystal emitted thousands of pinpricks of colors, a dazzling array.

"I've had enough of this insane Plane!" Mizuki huffed as she took hold of Veldor and Morrel, concentrating hard. In a flash of deep purple light, she took her two companions far away from Lorwyn, never to come back.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Naturalize, Elvish Warrior, Regenerate, Tendrils of Corruption, Oblivion Ring, Incinerate, Carom, Hindering Light, Moonglove Extract, Preeminent Captain**


	15. Chapter 15

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 15**

Morrel couldn't believe how saltythe air smelled once Mizuki finished her Planeswalking. In fact, he didn't even know where he was once Mizuki conjured him, herself, and Veldor to a new Plane. All he knew was that he immediately fell to the sandy ground, supporting himself on his hands and knees and gasping for breath. Perhaps adrenaline had kept him going after sustaining injuries from Rohkan, but now he felt ready to pass out. He was not alone; Mizuki sprawled onto her back, her arms and legs stretched out and her dirty black hair billowing across the slightly damp sand. Veldor merely knelt for stability, the warm salty air ruffling his brown hair.

"Looks safe enough," the artificer commented as he looked around. "No one to see us. Terrain hospitable. As long as no monsters emerge from the ocean."

_Ocean? _Morrel turned his head and beheld a sparkling blue ocean lapping its waves on the sandy shore, explaining the source of the salty smell. It occurred to Morrel that he had never seen such a place before, being more used to the endless rolling plains, wandering rivers, and patches of forests in his native Akrasan Kingdom on Bant. _Well, the kingdoms of Jhess and Valeron are on the coast, but I doubt that we're back at Bant. Mizuki doesn't seem to like my home, _Morrel figured, watching Mizuki wiggle her toes in the sand. He couldn't help but find it distinctly charming.

"Someone is coming!" Veldor said in alarm, perking up at something outside Morrel's sight. Morrel snapped his attention to an approaching figure, a humanoid cavalier rapidly crossing the beach to reach the threesome. When the cavalier came close, Morrel realized that the horse was a strong, attractive animal with intricate battle armor on. Even more interesting, the rider was a woman wearing knight-like armor and her long black hair billowed in the salty ocean air. Then, a glint of gold on her chest caught Morrel's attention: a Sigil!

"Are you all hurt? Well, no need to answer that," the woman added to herself humorously, bringing her steed to a halt and dismounting. She knelt by Morrel. "Did the monsters do this to you?"

Morrel shook his head, knowing that she referred to the beasts of Jund and Grixis. "N-no, not that. We just got here. Who are you?"

"My name's Sarmanda, a knight of Jhess," the woman answered. "And bearer of one Sigil."

Familiarity welled into Morrel's mind like a healing tonic. "I am Morrel, a battlemage of the Akrasan Kingdom, and bearer of one Sigil."

Sarmanda breathed with relief. "Oh, it's so good to see another noble being after all this! Not since..."

"Since what, huh?" Mizuki demanded, still lying down and staring up at the clear blue sky.

"Ever since the out-world invaders laid waste to Jhess," Sarmanda told everyone, her voice suddenly heavy with anger and loss. "My kingdom has been scattered and wrecked, almost everyone wiped out. Just a few strongholds remain."

Alarm tightened Morrel's stomach. "Have you had any news on Akrasa? Or the other kingdoms?"

"Well... the latest courier aven from Akrasa told us that the people there are hard-pressed, but they haven't suffered disaster like we have," Sarmanda said slowly. "Plus it helps that unlike Valeron and Jhess, Akrasa has heavily recruited servants from the other worlds, like the elves and wurms that have joined the war on Bant's side. Us Jhessians, we have to fend for ourselves, and it turned out badly."

"Can you help us?" Morrel asked, hoping he wasn't asking too much of a war-ravaged kingdom. He had never had much liking for the distant Jhess or Valeron before, but now all of the Bant inhabitants were dear sisters and brothers to each other. Sarmanda thought much the same.

"Of course! Every Bant citizen has to watch out for the others," Sarmanda heartily agreed. "I'll just send up a flare and get some carriers over here..."

She took out a thin red tube and struck a match, igniting a yarn attached to the bottom. Once the yarn was burned up, the tube shot into the sky and exploded, sending red sparks flying everywhere.

"Was that a firework?" Mizuki asked, suddenly sounding interested. Veldor looked confused.

"Yeah, an innovation of Jhess," Sarmanda nodded and smiled. "You know of them?"

"I – uh – lucky guess," Mizuki mumbled, now looking secretive and annoyed. Morrel figured that she didn't want to reveal her Planeswalker status to Sarmanda, as there were probably fireworks on Kamigawa too. All the same, a few more cavaliers arrived and carefully loaded the three injured guests onto their horses, carrying them to safety.

*o*o*o*o*

Sarmanda had certainly not exaggerated about her tale. She took Morrel, Mizuki, and Veldor to a relatively untouched monastery, but along the way Morrel saw many burned ruins of towns, camps, and Rhox monasteries. The monastery Morrel was taken to was in fact a human one, but rather than having monks inside, healers in white and blue robes tended to the injured, the sick, and the cursed on countless beds. Morrel, Mizuki, and Veldor got beds next to each other's, but they were strictly told by the healers to lay still and be quiet during the healing process.

"Sword wounds and burns," Morrel's healer muttered to herself, a middle-aged woman with two healer-type Sigils on her white robe. She looked over Morrel from head to foot, removing his cloak and shirt to check his wounds in better detail. "Typical wounds to heal, but inflicted by a powerful foe." She suddenly glared at Morrel. "Just how many Grixis monsters have you been fighting?"

"Oh, some here, some there," Morrel shrugged, earning him another hard look. Making no further comment, the healer began her work, green-white mana glowing on her hands. She pressed her hands to Morrel's wounds and he shivered as the flesh started to knit and mend together. On the next bed, however, Mizuki fought back against her healer, refusing to have her clothes taken off for her.

"Do I look like a damn baby? I can take this off myself – ouch!" Mizuki shouted as she tried to remove her shirt but strained an injury.

"Hold still, my dear, or you'll worsen your wounds!" Mizuki's elderly healer urged her. "Just let me cut the cloth..."

"I'm your 'dear' now? I'll take you apart!" Mizuki roared, until another healer hurried over and put Mizuki to sleep with a sweet-smelling incense.

By evening, when orange-red light poured through the monastery's windows, Morrel, Mizuki, and Veldor felt well enough to talk, and they had a thing or two to discuss.

"Damn that Rohkan bastard," Mizuki cursed. "Seriously..."

"He wasn't too bad," Morrel said, despite the feeling he had in his gut. "We beat him pretty good. Especially me."

"Were you even watching?" Mizuki snorted. "He trashed you!"

"He fought and hurt all of us," Morrel growled back, annoyed.

"That's the point," Mizuki told him. "It took all three of us fighting together to deal with him, and we only barely won! I know a need for improvement when I see it. We've got one Sphere piece, but I don't see how we can get any more without losing our lives."

"What, are you giving up?" Morrel challenged her. He remembered his less-than-stellar performance against Rohkan and spite burned in his stomach. _What would Raphael think?_ "As soon as we heal, we'll take on Rohkan or Maretta or even Azrael himself to get the Sphere pieces. Just follow my lead!"

"I'm the one who Planeswalks," Mizuki rolled her eyes. "What are you so bothered about, Morrel? What, are you sad that Rohkan damaged your pretty skin?"

Morrel bristled. "You little -"

"I, uh, I'd rather you both not fight, okay?" Veldor said awkwardly but loudly. "Listen, um... there is another solution, if you'll listen to me."

"That being?" Mizuki asked impatiently, rounding on him.

"Starlight Island," Veldor stated, as thought Mizuki and Morrel knew what that was. "It's a training ground on my native Plane. It's a place where one can sharpen their mental and physical skills. Perhaps we can make use of its facilities."

"Huh. Sounds like fun, if it's in the Plane _you're_ from," Mizuki commented sarcastically. "But still, I think we should try it, Morrel. Might need it."

Morrel huffed. He didn't like the idea that he was too weak to confront Azrael or his minions again, and it felt like he needed everyone to do his Journey of Souls work for him. Still, he had nearly died several times already, and next time he might not get lucky. He ground his teeth. "Okay. When we're all healed completely, we'll go."

"Good. My home Plane is called Esper, in case you don't remember," Veldor added. "And remember to bring heavy clothing with you. It can get pretty cold there, even though there is no snow or ice. Only rain and wind and the ocean. And metal."

_Sounds like fun, _Morrel mentally agreed with Mizuki, and with even more sarcasm.

*o*o*o*o*

None of General Olwart's soldiers knew what to make of it. One minute, they nearly had won the battle for the colorful power crystal, but the next minute, the three "human" out-worlders took it and vanished, leaving both Olwart and Rohkan looking foolish. The remaining changelings and elementals had been chased off the island, but the Kithkin couldn't resist a feeling of disappointment and lost opportunity.

"Our chance is not yet lost!" Olwart bellowed over the rabble of discontent soldiers. "Azrael will understand. He will give us another crystal piece and we will gain the power we are due! Rejoice, my brothers!"

The other Kithkin soldiers cheered at this new chance for power, although Rohkan edged away from the soldiers and stood a distance away, all four arms folded. His injuries had all healed seamlessly by now, but he too felt shame and anger boiling inside. He had Planeswalked away to avoid a killing blow, but returned to Lorwyn an hour later to assess the situation... and he didn't like it. What was Azrael going to make of this?

With a flash of vivid blue light, two new people arrived, and the Kithkin suddenly withdrew in fear as Azrael and Maretta materialized on the island. Both of them strode forward, Maretta in a light and happy manner, Azrael in a deliberate and stern manner. Azrael confronted Rohkan and the Vedalken swordsman fell to one knee in respect. "My liege," Rohkan intoned.

"Don't act like nothing happened," Azrael loomed over the Vedalken. "I know of your failure, Rohkan! Those two brats, Morrel and Mizuki, overcame you in combat and got away with the Sphere shard located on this island!"

"My liege, I can assure you -" Rohkan started, but Azrael cut him off.

"There is no excuse!" Azrael barked, jabbing an accusing finger at the kneeling blue man. Anger sparked in his eyes and the Kithkin watched silently in terror. "I trusted you to capture Lorwyn's Sphere shard and this is what I get? You disappoint me with your ineptitude, Rohkan!"

Fury flashed across Rohkan's hard, dark eyes and his body tensed at the accusation. He looked up but otherwise didn't move. "Azrael, the two children had help in the form of Veldor, the Planeswalker from Esper. I underestimated their combined power. Although their teamwork was shoddy, they summoned strength I did not know they had."

"I don't want to hear it. You let me down," Azrael said sternly.

"Oooooh, you're making him mad, Rohkan!" Maretta teased him, earning her a silencing glance from Azrael.

Rohkan rose to his feet. "When I next meet Morrel and Mizuki, there will be only victory for me. This I can guarantee you."

"Good. At least your spirit is not damaged," Azrael commented simply, satisfied at last. His long red hair whirled in the air as he turned to face the Kithkin, and they cowered even more. "General Olwart, I believe you wanted to claim a Sphere shard for your own use?"

The Kithkin General flinched. "No, my lord Azrael! I want to use its power to help you! We made a pact, after all... I bolster my army with your crystal, and I give you my loyalty. If we find another Sphere shard, I'll make sure I can get it to you."

Azrael didn't respond right away. He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a quarter-piece of a melon-sized crystal sphere. It glowed with thousands of points of light, and the Kithkin drew closer to it. "I have already secured this piece. There are four total. Would you like to claim it?"

Trembling with excitement, General Olwart stepped forward in his heavy armor and reached out a hand to take the Sphere shard. "I would be most honored, Azrael! Thank you!" He gratefully accepted the shard from Azrael, but failed to notice Azrael making a few motions with his left hand behind his back. A second later, a sudden cloud of purple-black mana burst from the Sphere shard like a gas, enveloping the Kithkin and corroding his flesh right to the bone. He didn't even have time to cry out in protest, and within seconds he was reduced to an armor-clad skeleton that clattered to the grass.

Maretta giggled in amusement as the other Kithkin quickly withdrew from the horrible sight, practically tripping over each other. The Sphere shard fell to the ground and Azrael picked it up, a dark aura glowing to life around him. It even made his hair start to stand up, as though he were attracting static electricity.

"This is the price you pay for your failure, Olwart," Azrael boomed at the skeleton. His dark aura formed a wide circle of black mana at his feet, and the patch of black mana rapidly spread across the island like a seeping liquid. "And this is the price you little fools pay for wasting my time! Rest assured, your strength will not go to waste!"

With that, the tides of black mana suddenly surged upwards and enveloped each Kithkin on the island, consuming their flesh and corroding it. Clouds of black mana vapors hissed into the air and flowed toward Azrael, seeping into his skin and infusing him with the strength of a thousand consumed Kithkin. Within minutes, only the armor of the Kithkin remained and Azrael banished his dark magic, turning to face Rohkan and Maretta. "Determine where Morrel and Mizuki will go next, and show them no mercy! Take their Sphere shard, kill them, and find the other two shards. Do all of this, and you will be given the rewards I have promised you!"

"Yes, my liege!" Maretta yelped, and she Planeswalked away at once. Rohkan stood still, shocked by the sight of so many souls punished for one failure. _They were discarded and destroyed because they were not wanted, because they were not perfect, _Rohkan thought, realizing that he had witnessed what might happen to him sometime. He clenched his four fists. _Just you watch, Azrael! I will not be useless or weak again! You will value me as an asset to our cause, not throw me aside like trash!_

"Is there a problem, Rohkan?" Azrael asked with a chillingly calm tone.

"No, there is not," Rohkan answered quickly, and with a burst of red and green light, he was gone.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Island (Michael Kormack), Outrider of Jhess, Jhessian Balmgiver, Consume Spirit**


	16. Chapter 16

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 16**

The moment Morrel felt himself appear in a new world, the first thing he noticed was a heavy, deathly cold. Not only did his skin suddenly feel chilly and his bones ache with negative energy, but his brain felt slow and stiff like fingers left outside in the cold for too long. Not only that, but wherever Mizuki just Planeswalked him, it was pitch-dark too. Trying not to shiver too hard, Morrel chattered his teeth and said, "M-Mizuki, just wh-where did you take us?" He was suddenly aware that he stood in ankle-deep, sludgy water.

"I-I can't tell where exactly we are, but Veldor did guide me to this Plane. He's somewhere not too far away," Mizuki's voice said to Morrel's left. Morrel heard her walk forward and slosh the water in the darkness. "Come on, f-follow me."

His mind burning with a million questions, Morrel snapped himself out of a daze and followed the sound of Mizuki's footsteps, realizing that the sound of his sloshing footsteps was echoing off of unseen walls. "Is this the Plane called Esper? The home of Veldor?"

"This is it," Mizuki responded. "I-I'm guessing that we're in a sewer of some kind right now. We've got to f-find a way out."

"How come you didn't take us somewhere nicer? And where's Veldor?"

Impatience seeped into Mizuki's voice. "You know that I can't f-fully control my Planeswalking, Morrel! The Kami's curse made it difficult and awkward for me to Planeswalk, and it corrupted my Spark. You're lucky that I can take you along with me at all."

Morrel felt another chill as he advanced in the pitch-dark sewer with his Kamigawa friend. "I beg your pardon?"

"Think about this: you don't notice anything when we travel, do you? When I Planeswalk you away, the next thing you know is that you're at the destination?"

"Yes. What of it?"

Now amusement now colored Mizuki's voice. "You're missing out on the fun part. Planeswalking isn't teleporting: I'm actually walking between the Planes in a realm called the Blind Eternities. The Eternities act as the space between every Plane, and I have to go through it to take us somewhere new. Only Planeswalkers can survive that place, and no mortal can safely go through. That includes you."

Morrel felt a thrill of alarm. "Wh-what? You're taking me through a deadly place? What's the meaning of this?" He could see a dim light up ahead.

"My curse does give me one advantage: I can bring one mortal along with me as a passenger in a cocoon of mana, safe and sound," Mizuki described. "It's lucky for you, huh? You lose your conscienceless, but no harm comes to you. I could also see Veldor while we Planeswalked here. He left behind a trail that I followed, but my curse corrupts my Spark and makes me un able to arrive at the exact same location as him. This is the best I can manage."

_I can hardly believe what I'm hearing! _Morrel thought, all kinds of fantastic visions and wonders flooding his mind. He couldn't help it. "Hey, Mizuki. What is the Blind Eternities realm like?"

"Like nothing I've ever seen. That place is where reality and imagination mingle, past and future collide, and possibilities and lies twist around each other. It's where creation and destruction, life and death, futures and ancient pasts, dreams, and energy all swirl around each other in a surreal maelstrom. Such a place would consume any mortal."

"Then I must certainly be lucky to have you as my guide."

"To say the least. You'd better be grateful."

"Mmmmm... yeah."

The light grew brighter and Morrel hurried toward it, eager to get out of the cramped and chilly sewer. A metal grate covered the end of the circular tunnel, but Mizuki's giant right arm smashed it aside and let the both of them step into a dank, underground world.

Morrel got the feeling that either Esper was a dark and nasty place, or he was simply in its underworld. Here, shafts of light poked through random holes in the metal and stone ceiling, and the whole place stretched on as far as the eye could see. Random walls and tunnels gave the place some variety in the topography, but everywhere he could see, Morrel beheld water-filled canals, giant drains, piles of metallic garbage, and small cities of makeshift shacks and taverns. The people themselves came in a stunning variety, from tall, pale-skinned humans to lurching constructs to blue-skinned Vedalken similar to Rohkan, except that they only had two arms. Even more interesting, every single living person had parts of their bodies replaced with elaborate metal.

"Ugh. This place is nasty," Mizuki wrinkled her nose as she led Morrel through the underground world. Nearby people gawked and stared, but none made any comment, talking only among each other. "It feels so... so..."

"Artificial," Morrel finished for her, getting the same feeling she did. Used as he was to the vibrant world of Bant, he felt this Plane as something very different. He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, using his battlemage training to sense the mana and world around him. All he got back was rock and metal and water, with no warm glow of beasts, flower fields, or even fungi. Everything felt hard and artificial and _dead_. Granted, the fleshy body parts of the native people did register to Morrel, but it was of little comfort. The air smelled metallic and dull.

"I wonder what all that metal is for?" Mizuki wondered in a hushed voice, her eyes never leaving the curvy metal pieces everyone had infused in their bodies.

"I dunno, but artifice seems to be the lifeblood of this place," Morrel observed, wondering if everyone here used their crafted body parts for combat like Veldor did. "Is Veldor in this realm? Can you sense him?"

Mizuki shook her head impatiently as her bare feet pattered on the damp rock floor. _"No,_ Morrel. I can only follow him in the Blind Eternities. I did glimpse where he went, through, and his destination had open skies and was much cleaner than this place. We've got to find a transport system to get away from here and start looking."

Morel opened his mouth to speak as he drew close to a nearby town, but he was cut off as a towering, six-legged monster stepped into his and Mizuki's way. The monster had an insectoid body and its metallic legs were long and thin but looked very strong. Its eyeless head lowered toward Morrel, its twin pincers clacking loudly. Nearby people suddenly started screaming and fled in terror, scattering like frightened birds. Morel suddenly felt his nerves burn and his body tensed. _Looks like we've already found trouble! _Mizuki's cursed right arm grew to full size, the fist clenching.

The monstrous insect hissed a warning and then lowered its body, allowing a cluster of people to climb down to the ground and form a circle around Morrel and Mizuki. Assorted humans and Vedalken, all with the metal enhancements typical of Esper, raised various weapons and guffawed with glee. The last member of the party, however, was wildly different. He strode toward Morrel and Mizuki, his stride precise and smooth, and he gave off an aura of streamlined ruthlessness. His metal head had the shape of a skull and blue light shone from within, and his body was also the same, curvy metal that everyone else had, but his body was made entirely of this metal from head to foot with only scraps of dark gray flesh clinging to his metallic bones. A blue cape fluttered from his shoulders and his fingers were long and claw-like, sharpened like a falcon's talons. In his right hand he held a thin but sturdy metal staff.

"I have not seen your kind before, strangers," the metal man rasped threateningly, jabbing a claw-finger at Morrel. His voice echoed inside his skull. "Do you come from above?"

Morrel folded his arms. "You mean the world above us? No, but I'd like to go there. And you're in the way."

The other thugs chuckled at Morrel's defiance, and Mizuki glared at each one with bloodlust in her eyes, her breathing suddenly hard. Her giant right fingers uncurled from the fist, the white talons threatening.

"No one ever leaves Tidehollow, not without good reason!" the metal man said scornfully. "Pathetic fleshling, are you truly so ignorant? Do you not know the ways of the world? Or were you born deaf?"

Anger burned in Morrel's gut. "Whatever. Are you going to move? I have a quest to complete."

"I too seek a way to the upper world," the metal man rasped. "I will escape this cesspit and take my place in a world of progress and power where I truly belong! I hoped to get a little information from you, but now I see that you're only an obstacle to overcome." To his men, he added: "Get them!"

At the command, the other thugs yelled and charged with their weapons raised. Mizuki sprang into action, slashing her huge right arm through the cold, damp air at the thugs. Two of them shouted as they were sent flying, knocked away by Mizuki's great strength. The rest, however, jabbed their makeshift spears and swords at her and Mizuki tumbled out of the way, shielding herself with her right arm's tough skin. Still, the thugs' sharpened weapons cut into her pitch-black arm's skin and drew blood, making Mizuki wince and clench her teeth.

A pale man with a wicked spear jabbed his weapon at Morrel, and Morrel could see the movement pattern of the assailant's attack. Evading the attack and letting the spear slip through empty air, Morrel seized the man's arm and harnessed his momentum, throwing him into a Vedalken thug instead. Both men fell in a clumsy tangle, and a quick roundhouse kick caught another thug on the temple and sent him sprawling.

"Very well. Then I shall intervene!" the metal man declared. Stepping forward, he raised his arms and his eye sockets glowed bright white, mana flooding through his artificial body. "I am a lich and I command near-infinite power! I will not be defied by these two weaklings!"

Morrel dodged the blows of another few thugs, but then the metal lich jabbed a finger at Morrel and the Bant battlemage jerked as frigid, heavy mana flooded into his brain. Shouting in agony, Morrel clutched his head and fell to his knees, overwhelming terror and despair sapping his mind away. _Argh! That scornful lich is using his magic on me. Mizuki, do something! _Morrel winced but held back a cry as the thugs kicked him around, metal fists and feet pummeling him and bruising him all over. As he was thrown to the wet rocky ground, Morrel saw Mizuki writhing on the ground nearby, clearly under the lich's power as well.

"Finish them!" the lich howled, and the thugs raised their weapons to slice Morrel and Mizuki to pieces. Hot anger and defiance at this difficult situation flooded Morrel's mind, giving him the strength to push himself to his feet and fight back. His fist snapped one thug's head back, then another few blows sent him crashing to the ground. Morrel seized the man's sword and swung at his enemies, but the other thugs blocked his blows and struck Morrel again, sending him sprawling to the ground once again, his head ringing.

A towering Vedalken with metal legs towered over Morrel, a smug look of victory on his blue face. He yelled and swung his jagged sword at Morrel, and only one thing came to Morrel's mind. "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!"

"What the...?" the Vedalken gawked as his sword collided with a blue and gold magic shield shimmering between himself and Morrel. Sparks flew from where the metal struck the Hindering Light spell's surface. Frowning, the Vedalken jabbed his sword at the shield and shattered it, the focused attack cracking the spell.

_Damn it! I forgot, my shield can't withstand piercing attacks, _Morrel realized. All the same, the shield did slow down the Vedalken's sword thrust, and Morrel's swift kick knocked the weapon out of the man's hand. Looking alarmed, the Vedalken tried to bolt but Morrel twisted his leg around the Vedalken's metal ones, sending him crashing down. A blow to the temple took the blue man out of the fight.

"Rrraaaaaah!" Mizuki howled as she got back to her feet, wounded but far from defeated. Her right arm's talons slashed apart her numerous assailants, and a small cluster of black mana tentacles impaled two more thugs. Having seen enough, the few remaining thugs fled the scene, leaving only the lich.

"Curse those cowards," the lich said scornfully. "Then again, they do not have perfection as I do! And neither will you two experience it!"

Morrel decided that a quick kick to the head would shut the lich up, but he was mistaken: the lich caught Morrel's kick with one metal arm and knocked Morrel's leg aside, then his own kick slammed into Morrel's gut. The Bant battlemage shouted as he was sent sprawling to the wet floor for a third time. Mizuki charged in for the kill, but the lich reached out his hand and engulfed her in heavy black mana, sending her crashing to the ground, wailing in agony.

"You miserable dogs," the lich rasped, striding toward Mizuki. "You can never understand what makes me superior. With no flesh, there is no pain, no hesitation, no emotion of any kind. I am crafted perfection!" He raised his staff for a killing blow, but Morrel had other ideas.

"Brightest dawn, darkest eve, tallest peak, lowest valley, this land will not tolerate this being before me!" Morrel recited at top speed, reaching out with both hands as white mana flooded from his body. The familiar ring of mana popped into existence, and the lich stumbled awkwardly as his left leg was warped out of existence by the Oblivion Ring. His black mana attack on Mizuki vanished, and the Kamigawa Planeswalker got up and lashed out with her giant right arm, her own black mana sizzling on her white talons. The lich howled as the savage blow obliterated his body, scattering him into a thousand smoking pieces.

Morrel winced as he struggled back to his feet while the six-legged monster rumbled and fled the scene, skittering away on its thin legs. Mizuki hobbled over to Morrel, her expression frightful. "Just what the hell was all that?" she demanded.

"Like I'd know?" Morrel defended himself. "Maybe they were a local gang?"

"Yes, they were," a new voice stated. Morrel looked for the speaker but couldn't find him or her; the townspeople were coming back, but the voice sounded close by. Then, out of the nearest aqueduct, a long wooden rowboat emerged from the waters. A curving pole rose from the ship's stern, from which a lantern hung and emitted a ghostly light. The only occupant was a humanoid draped in a ragged cloak, its face hidden by its hood. The figure stated in the same voice as before, "You have done an act of kindness and courage that few here ever see. For that, you are commended."

"Those guys... you beat them all?" a woman asked incredulously. Her right arm and leg were entirely metal but the joy on her face was purely human. "Those monsters?"

"I, uh... yes, we did," Morrel said modestly, unsure what to make of this. "Were they causing you problems?"

"All manner of problems," an older man said. "That Aether-lich sought a way to reach the surface, but he could never find it so he bullied us to find a way for him! We were on the edge of despair until you two came along. Thank you."

Morrel couldn't help a satisfied grin as he turned to Mizuki. "You see? Our power is best used for good."

"No, it's not," Mizuki said with a sour expression. "We still have to find Veldor. We're only wasting time here! And what does that boat guy want?"

"You both impressed me," the boat master rasped. "I can take you to the upper world, if you so wish it. Few ever earn the right to do so."

Morrel jolted. "How did you know we wanted to go there?"

The figure only stood silently, so Morrel figured that he might as well use his only lead. "Mizuki, let's try it. We have a quest to complete, as you keep telling me."

"Yeah, I guess," she admitted, then jabbed a finger into Morrel's gut. "But you'd better be right about this, or I'll blame for you any more trouble we get into."

Morrel heaved a sigh. "I figured as much."

"Looks like you catch on," Mizuki teased him, then led the way to the boat. "Let's get out of here."

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **Yes, that Tidehollow Sculler was kind of convenient but I want to move the plot along without bogging down.

**Cards in this chapter... Sludge Strider, Salvage Slasher, Scornful Æther-Lich, Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Oblivion Ring, Tidehollow Sculler**


	17. Chapter 17

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 17**

Morrel wasn't quite sure where the Tidehollow boatman had taken him and Mizuki to, but he felt certain that it must be better than the dark, dangerous Tidehollow region of Esper. As soon as the cloaked boatman guided his craft out of the water and to open air, Morrel couldn't help a sudden gasp of wonder. Beside him, Mizuki did much the same. They did not emerge out of a canal as Morrel expected, but to an open ocean. The skies overhead shone a bright blue and huge cumulonimbus clouds floated high overhead in a rather grid-like pattern with an equal space between each one in all directions, giving the sky an artificial look. Flocks of black and white birds flew overhead in perfect V formations, each bird flapping its wings in unnaturally precise unison with the others.

Even more interesting was the island that loomed nearby. The island's natural landmass consisted of smooth gray slate on which a huge silver citadel rested. The structure itself looked to Morrel to be at least twenty stories high, and its bulbous, curvy base rose to form a trio of spires that reached for the very heavens. Windows and balconies on the smooth shiny walls offered a place for the inhabitants to view the world outside, and Morrel spotted metal-enhanced humans and Vedalken doing just that. The boatman didn't say a word about anything, but he did guide the boat forward to the island's base, where Morrel saw a number of boat docks made of the same elaborate, curvy metal that everything else here was made of.

"I can hardly believe this place!" Morrel said excitedly to Mizuki, his mind buzzing. "Can you?"

"I dunno," Mizuki said uncertainly, pouting and glaring up at the towering citadel. "This place feels even more unnatural than Tidehollow. I don't like this."

"Well, if there's danger, I'm sure you'll warn us in time," Morrel said bracingly, and Mizuki merely grunted in response. As the boat drew close to the docks, a sudden disturbance in the water caught Morrel's attention. He yelped and nearly fell into the ocean as a huge metallic serpent exploded out of the water, flinging gallons of clear water everywhere. The monster reared back its head and screeched loudly, its voice shuddering the very air. However, Morrel could see no eyes or mouth on the beasts' head, and its head in fact was pointed and shaped like a huge metal beak, almost like a weapon.

"Harmless. Ignore it," the boatman said gruffly, speaking for the first time.

Morrel watched the monster warily as the boat settled into the dock. "Just what _is _that thing? Is it a wild animal or machine?"

"A steel-clad serpent, common in this area. Hello again, Morrel, Mizuki," a familiar voice called out. Standing on the boat dock, Veldor appeared happier than Morrel had ever seen him, and the Esper artificer clasped his hands behind his back and strode over to the boat as it docked. He offered a hand and helped pull Morrel and Mizuki onto the metal pier. "That will be all," Veldor nodded to the boatman, who merely sank his boat into the water and out of sight.

Not saying another word, Veldor turned and quickly walked off, urging Morrel and Mizuki to follow. With every step deeper into the citadel, Morrel beheld a variety of constructs doing menial chores such as maintenance and carrying supplies around. One particular construct shouldered its way past Morrel, standing at least fifteen feet high and boasting broad shoulders and blue mana humming between its metal body parts. The construct carried armloads of artifact scrap in its huge hands, lumbering forward in a straight line and pushing aside anything that got in its way.

"That's a salvage titan, useful to collecting scrap that washes up from Tidehollow," Veldor explained. "They're harmless to people like us unless we provoke them."

"Most interesting," Morrel offered, but Veldor seemed too excited about something to keep a conversation going. Rather, he led his two guests to a wide disk on the floor, etched with strange runes and glowing with blue and white mana. At once, a crackling shroud of mana surrounded the trio and teleported them somewhere new. Looking out a window, Morrel beheld the boat docks he had arrived in, more than twenty stories below.

"What are we even doing here?" Mizuki grunted impatiently.

Clapping his hands together, Veldor concentrated as blue and black mana gathered around his hands. "We are going _here_," he proclaimed, and a second citadel suddenly became visible, not too far from this one. A long, straight bridge connected the two structures and various people wandered around on that bridge.

"Follow. We will meet her at once," Veldor said briskly, setting off for the bridge. He ignored the humans and Vedalken around him.

"Meet who?" Morrel repeated.

Veldor only offered a mysterious smile and led his guests onward. As soon as the threesome arrived on the bridge, Morrel suddenly felt a warm, dry breeze wafting by, a pleasant change from the cold and damp air of this world. Where was it coming from? He looked this way and that as he crossed the lofty bridge and then he beheld the source: a bulky contraption sat on top of a gold-colored tower nearby, manned by small constructs. Flaps shifted this way and that on the device, warm dry air blowing through it. In fact, everywhere Morrel looked there was artifice, control, and knowledge. A nearby Vedalken stood on a platform by the bridge, resting his blue hands on a huge artificial gargoyle with silver wings, mana wafting from his hands to the gargoyle. At once, the steel gargoyle flapped its wings and took to the air in a burst of wind, its graceful body gleaming brightly in the sun as it took off for an unknown destination.

"Hurry! She does not have much time for visitors. Don't dawdle," Veldor cautioned Morrel and Mizuki, and they both hurried as Veldor practically started running across the bridge.

_What's with this guy and his mysteries? _Morrel wondered in slight irritation as Veldor led the way. _Whoever we're going to meet must be very important, maybe even a queen! Is it the queen of Esper?_

The interior of the second citadel had Morrel's answer, and he felt his jaw drop.

In a vast chamber at the very top of the second tower, resting on a cushion on a gigantic balcony, lay the biggest and strangest being Morrel had ever seen. Like other Esper natives, the creature had mostly metal for its body, but her human face was entirely flesh, even if her head was about ten times bigger than any normal human's. Her body was feline in shape from neck to tail, huge pewter claws flexing slightly and tail swishing with pent-up energy. Two angelic wings lay folded up on the beast's back, but they flared up with excitement as Veldor and his guests humbly entered the vast chamber.

"Veldor, human artificer and Planeswalker," the cat-woman commented in a deep, pleasant voice that echoed through the whole chamber. She had dozens of human and Vedalken attendants who turned as one to face the newcomers. "My time is short and you look out of breath. You must have hurried to see me?"

"Indeed, my hegemon," Veldor bowed deeply before her. Each of the creature's claws was as long as Veldor's whole body. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Yes, Veldor, as you have proven yourself worthy of my court," the giant cat-woman said in a welcoming tone. "What brings you?"

Morrel stepped forward and announced, "We three are on a quest of utmost importance and we seek your help for – whoa!"

He stopped as three human guards whipped out their sharp spears and poised the weapons right at his neck. One move could pierce Morrel's jugular and he swallowed, suddenly terrified. _What did I say wrong?_

The giant cat-woman chuckled deeply as Veldor turned to Morrel. "To gain audience with the hegemon, one must bring a riddle she has not heard," he explained. "I already have her good favor, but not you or Mizuki."

"Well, then why don't you do all the blabbering, then?" Mizuki snapped impatiently at Veldor. "Just don't forget any of the details."

"This one disrespects me," the giant woman said, narrowing her eyes at Morrel. "He must answer my riddle and bring me one in return, or back to Tidehollow he will go!"

_Anything but that! _Morrel squirmed in place as the human guards drew back a little but kept their weapons poised. A giant glass of blue wine sat on the cat-woman's cushion and she took a long draught of it, closing her eyes in deep thought. Then she opened her eyes and demanded: "What rises without legs, whispers without a voice, bites without teeth, and dies without having life?"

Morrel gaped. "Uh, what? I don't even know what you are!"

The cat-woman only chuckled again as Veldor quickly explained, "Morrel, this is Sharuum the Hegemon. She's a sphinx, a creature like a lion, human, and bird and they are wise and fond of riddles. You must do what she says."

Mizuki looked like she was holding back a laugh as Morrel racked his brains, suddenly trying to answer a challenging riddle from a creature he had never seen before. Even when Sharuum repeated the riddle, he still drew a blank on what the answer could possibly be. "Bites without teeth? Well, even creatures that lose their teeth can bite, and you can destroy a zombie even if it's only dead..."

"Is your answer a toothless creature or a zombie?" Sharuum prodded him.

Morel jumped. "N-neither! Just thinking out loud..." _I probably only get one shot at this! Well, um... rises without legs? A cobra can poise its head, as can a sea serpent... but they have life! Well, maybe a legless zombie can lift itself with just its arms, but what about whispering? Zombies groan and make noises like that... _His stomach jumped. _Wait! The answer must be metaphorical! I doubt this is a single living thing we're talking about... well, empires rise and fall, you can have a biting-cold wind, a mistake can bite you in the ass... no, that can't be it! Uh..._

Everyone stood stock-still to watch Morrel, and even Sharuum didn't take another drink from her glass as she watched him closely, her tail swishing impatiently. Morrel felt his clothing start to soak with sweat as he mentally fought to escape this snare. _What can whisper without a voice? Snakes can hiss, which is kind of like whispering... but they're alive... a zombie snake! No, I have to take this seriously... Bites without teeth... a wind bites and it can rise and fall, but it doesn't whisper or make a sound... _Then he thought of a gentle draft hissing between narrow spaces in the Akrasan castle. _Yes, it can! A wind can whisper, too! And a wind can die down! _Feeling elated, Morrel declared, "The answer is: the wind."

Sharuum smiled widely and slapped her tail down with great force, startling everyone. "Well done, visitor! You have gained an audience with me and my good graces. That riddle hasn't been solved by your kind in some years."

Sighing with relief, Morrel took a step forward and said, "Thank you, Sharuum. I still need your help, however. I won't burden you with all the details, but -"

"You're not done yet," Sharuum reminded him. "Give _me _a riddle I've never heard. I want my brain to have something new to chew on."

Morrel hesitated; would a creature this smart even have to make any effort to solve any riddle he could offer? He had to try. "Okay, Sharuum, how about this... what word becomes shorter when it is lengthened?"

The Rhox monks of Bant loved to share, figure out, and invent riddles as a way to exercise and sharpen their minds, and Yerkel had shared more than a few with Morrel to pass many a lazy afternoon. Granted, Morrel had never done well with riddles but he had figured out this one on his own, and Yerkel had been most pleased by that. Now, the metal sphinx frowned slightly and kneaded her paws, tail twitching as she pondered. After a few seconds her lips pursed and her eyes hardened in frustration, and Morrel couldn't help a feeling of satisfaction. _There, now you're the one having trouble! _But a few seconds later, Sharuum smiled widely again. "The answer is: the word 'short'," she announced smugly. "When you add an 'er' to it, it becomes 'shorter'."

"Ohhhhhh!" Mizuki groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. Everyone stared at her. "What?" she demanded. "I was trying to figure it out too!"

Sharuum spread her wings wide. "Well done, Morrel. What do you need from me?"

The Bant battlemage took a deep breath and made his request yet again. "Sharuum, my companions and I are partway through an inter-Planar quest that has thrown many perils at us so far, and we need a chance to better ourselves before going further. Veldor brought us here for such a chance to improve. Can you point the way?"

"I know just the thing," Sharuum suggested. "Starlight Peak, a training facility some distance from here. Many people have gone there for both combat training and inner reflection. It used to be quite popular. But..."

Morrel got a bad feeling. "But what?"

"When Esper collided with those other worlds, the raw energies from those worlds disrupted Esper all over," Sharuum went on. "Some lands became ravaged by wild and powerful energies, and the Starlight Peak facility got caught in the worst of it. Now, fierce volcanoes and savage winds make the journey there too perilous to be worth it."

Veldor stepped forward. "We'll go."

"Say what?" Mizuki raged. "Don't decide that for us! You're dragging us off to some dangerous place? I thought we came here to get some _good _stuff done!"

"It is worth the risk, Mizuki," Veldor assured her. "If you want to become stronger in a short period of time to confront Azrael again, this is the only practical way. Especially if we secure the right transport."

"And what kind of transport will that be?" Morrel inquired.

Veldor bowed before Sharuum again. "I request that you contact the Ethersworn and get us one of their gargoyles."

"They will want something in return," Sharuum warned him.

"I know many here who can provide materials for me to trade for a gargoyle," Veldor assured her. "But we need a gargoyle to get to Starlight Peak."

Sharuum took another draught from her wineglass. "So I shall! But be warned..."

"Yes?" Veldor asked.

"The Ethersworn are planning to send an agent there too, one of their best," Sharuum warned. "And the Ethersworn have become more secretive and violent since you last met them, Veldor. They will not take kindly to this."

"I can handle that," Veldor said firmly. "As long as my request is sent."

"And it will be," Sharuum said. "Go now, Veldor. Many others wish to see me. My palace is open to you, however. Stay here until the Ethersworn respond, why don't you? Your two guests may stay here too."

Veldor bowed yet again. "Of course."

*o*o*o*o*

Evening on Esper didn't bring the slightest change to the palace's denizens, a surprise to Morrel who was used to an evening meal, prayers, and meditation back at Akrasa castle. Often in Bant evenings, the Aven sky knights would come swooping back for roosting, Rhox monks would emerge from their hermitages to gather in small groups and discuss their day's study and meditation, and Bant battlemages and soldiers would finish their sparring for the day and relax with a hot bath, hot meal, leisurely reading, then pray to the angels and retire to bed.

On Esper, it seemed that no one really slept, prayed, or even ate. The humans, Vedalken, and most of all the constructs and golems went about their enigmatic business the same way as usual, their silver and chrome-colored body parts glowing gold in the evening sun.

"This place creeps me out a little," Morrel commented nervously to Mizuki as they wandered the hall of Sharuum's palace, looking for something fun to do. "What about you?"

"I've been to much better Planes," Mizuki agreed sourly, wrinkling her nose. "Everyone here is all about metallurgy this, arcane studies that, wisdom of the sphinxes, on and on. If Veldor didn't lead us to a good training ground, I'd long be out of here for a better world."

Curiosity burned in Morrel's gut as he and Mizuki passed by a tall window. Outside, flocks of birds flew by. "I know we've been to Kamigawa and Lorwyn, but what are some of those other worlds you've been to?"

Mizuki shrugged. "Mmmmm, a few dozen or so. Some are stupid, but others are nice."

"Like?" Morrel prodded her, eager to hear about something she liked other than stealing and pouting.

"Well, there was this one Plane that had really rich and vast plant life forms," Mizuki commented. "It was kind of sphere-shaped, a big orb surrounding a central glowing star. Another Planeswalker once told me it was called Pyrulea. I really liked it there... it was so pretty."

"Think you might take me there sometime?"

Mizuki playfully punched his arm. "What am I, your tour guide?"

"I was only joking..."

"Of course you were," Mizuki pouted.

"Any other neat worlds?"

"Hmmmm... there was this one Plane that had been somehow duplicated a thousand times. Each Plane was almost identical to the original, a big desert with bustling cities. A Planeswalker explained all about this Plane to me. It is called Rabiah the Infinite. But..."

"But what?"

Mizuki smiled. "Rabiah the Infinite is just an endless, super-hot desert. Imagine me walking barefoot there? It didn't take me long to decide I hated the place and I left. Though the native people made such sweet-smelling spices."

"Man, Planeswalking sounds so great," Morrel lamented as he and Mizuki ascended a flight of bronze stairs and to a new hallway.

"Jealous?" Mizuki teased him.

Morrel made a face. "Hey, that's not nice. It's just that -"

"Get back here! You can't go wandering around on your own!" a man's voice suddenly called out, and a brown-haired man clad in silver armor and a mud-brown cape suddenly rushed out of a room, chasing a blue-skinned toddler who scampered out into the hallway. The man looked quite stressed and hassled, and Morrel couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he tried and failed to catch the blue child. The man lunged after the blue child but missed, instead sprawling across the chrome floor as the child giggled and ran away at top speed and vanished around a corner.

"Are you okay?" Morrel offered a hand, and the man gratefully accepted, getting back to his feet.

"Just a little hassled," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "That one will never obey me! The others will, but that one..." he shook his head.

"Just what was that thing?" Mizuki asked curiously as she and Morrel followed the man back into his room. Inside, five or six more blue toddlers wandered silently about, clad in dark gray cloaks and their heads bare and hairless.

The man stood in the middle of the room, suddenly looking proud. "I am a puppet conjurer, and these are my vassals. They are homunculi," he proclaimed. "I practice with them day and night, and these are my perfected ones! I've been trying to finish my newest one, but I can never get it right."

"What do you mean?" Morrel inquired.

"Watch." The puppet conjurer adopted a stance and extended his hands, blue and black mana glowing to life on his skin. With a flash, another blue-skinned child appeared and looked up at its master, but the conjurer merely scowled, then crushed it to scrap. He gathered up its mangled body and with another flare of mana, it was gone.

"I put my best Etherium into that one, and it still won't turn out right," the conjurer grumbled. "Can you guys believe it? Why won't it work?"

"Um... what is Etherium?" Morrel wondered as Mizuki wandered off to look at the homunculi children more closely.

The conjurer looked aghast. "You don't know? You must be a world-walker like Veldor! Good sir, Etherium is the magic metal that all beings here on Esper use to perfect themselves. You've seen metal body parts on everyone, right? That's Etherium. The buildings? Etherium. Even our weapons are..."

"Etherium," Morrel finished for him. "It must be quite valuable."

"Is it ever!" the conjurer agreed energetically. "All of our great magic is possible because of it. Otherwise, we'd be no better than the peoples of the worlds Esper has collided with."

Morrel felt prickled at the bad words against his home Plane, but chose not to argue. Instead, he asked, "So, Veldor's metal left arm and the armor he wears on his shins... that too is Etherium?"

"Yes," the conjurer nodded. "He's not the best artificer here but he's good. In fact, he -"

"Morrel! Look! This one likes me!"

Morrel whirled around. "What?"

Mizuki sat cross-legged on the floor, her expression gleeful as she held one homunculus in her lap. "Morrel, this one likes me! He just wandered right over and sat in my lap! What a good child!" She ruffled its cloak with affection and Morrel gawked. _I've never seen her so happy around anyone! _What was more, the little homunculus looked equally comfortable, its dark eyes alight with warmth.

"Mommy," it said simply.

"Oooooh! He thinks I'm his mommy! What a cute little kid you are!" Mizuki squealed, holding the child tight to her chest. "What should I call you?"

The puppet conjurer hurried over, looking confused as he scolded the homunculus. "You are not to mingle with outsiders! I am your creator and I -"

"Go away. I like my mommy better," the homunculus replied firmly, sticking its tongue out. "I like Mizuki."

Morrel tried hard not to laugh as the puppet conjurer sputtered, unable to respond correctly. Finally, the conjurer admitted, "All right, all right! So you can have your contract with her instead! But she needs to name you, and to have this."

He produced something from his pocket, a fist-sized gold object that resembled the bottom third of a cone. A thick, black cloth cord hung from its base like a necklace string, and elaborate runes lined the object's sides. Mizuki accepted it, looking confused. "This is a courier's capsule. It has data about the homunculus you now hold, and now to summon it," the conjurer explained. "In ages past, Esper couriers bore messages written on ornate scrolls. The medium has grown more sophisticated, but the principle remains the same."

"Whatever you say," Mizuki smirked, accepting the gold object. "That's right, I took your homunculus baby from you! He's much better off with me."

"Uh... yeah," the conjurer frowned. "Just study that capsule's contents well, okay? And what will you call your new... baby, as you put it?"

Mizuki tilted her head and looked up, pondering. "Ummmm... well, there's a lot of open blue skies here, and his skin is blue... so I'll call him Sora, a name from my home Plane that means 'sky'." She smiled at her homunculus. "Do you like your name?"

Sora put his fists together and hid them under his large sleeves, an oddly scholarly gesture. "I am Sora," he nodded once, then vanished.

"Yes, yes," the conjurer said, sounding a little impatient. "Thank you both, you may take your leave while I resume my work... I have to perfect that last one... good luck with your quest."

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Morrel asked Mizuki as they set off again. He couldn't help a knowing grin.

Mizuki folded her arms. "Oh yes, I did," she smirked again. "I got a free souvenir of Esper! You know how I like taking stuff, anyway."

"Tell me about it," Morrel groaned.

"Don't look so upset," Mizuki prodded him. "It wasn't malice this time. Don't forget, I really like children, and this one is really low-maintenance! Wasn't he adorable?"

Morrel caught the happy, affectionate look on her face and couldn't help but share it. "Yeah, I suppose so! Whatever makes you happy."

"Well, jeez. I didn't know you cared so much," Mizuki taunted him, but she turned a shade of pink and glanced away shyly.

"We've been together a while. Why wouldn't I start to care about you?" Morrel responded, trying not to go red in return. Mizuki had seemed pretty cute herself, while she was happy with Sora in her lap.

"D-don't be like that," Mizuki stuttered, still avoiding eye contact. "I mean, we -"

"There you both are. Come with me," Veldor's voice called out, and both Morrel and Mizuki whirled around to find him stepping up from behind them.

Mizuki squinted. "How did you do that?"

"I, uh, have my ways, but that's not important right now. We should turn in for the night," Veldor told them in his usual awkward, quiet voice. "It's late evening by now."

"Like I didn't notice," Mizuki rolled her eyes, pointing out a window. "Don't treat us like kids just because we're new here!"

"But you are kids," Veldor responded, unfazed. "Follow me."

On the way to the guest wing, Morrel idly recalled his conversation with the ghost of Geyosha, and something suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, Veldor. Are there more Planeswalkers on our side, fighting against Azrael's scheme?"

"Just one other, besides me," Veldor replied, and he suddenly seemed a little off-put.

"Who is it? Anyone I've met before?" Mizuki inquired.

"I-I wouldn't know that!" Veldor stuttered. "It's simply... an elf lady from a wild Plane called Zendikar."

"And her _name_? And area of expertise?" Mizuki asked impatiently, and Veldor actually started to turn red and looked away.

"Her name's Zoira, and she's been too busy to help us. You might meet her later on, though, and, uh..." he cleared his throat. "I'll meet up with her again soon. After our work here on Esper."

"You seem nervous about it," Morrel noticed, concerned.

Veldor quickly shook his head. "No, n-not at all. Just follow me, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow and need rest... yes..."

Morrel shot Mizuki a confused look, but a mischievous smirk crossed her face in response. As soon as Veldor led Morrel and Mizuki to the guest room and left them there for the night, Morrel burst out, "What was that all about? Do you know something?"

"If you couldn't tell for yourself, you should scrape together the brains to figure out what's the issue with Veldor," Mizuki challenged him with a slight smile, flopping onto one of the beds, staring up at the chrome ceiling and flexing her toes. "It's more fun that way."

Too worn out to argue, Morrel settled on his own bed. "Whatever."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Tidehollow Sculler, Steelclad Serpent, Salvage Titan, Tower Gargoyle, Sharuum the Hegemon, Puppet Conjurer, Homunculus (creature token), Courier's Capsule**


	18. Chapter 18

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 18**

A plain chrome ceiling greeted Morrel as he woke up, and bright sunlight glowed in his room through the glassless window on the east wall. He blinked and sat up, tossing aside his sheets and stood on the steel floor of the room, feeling the metal floor's chill on his bare feet. Breathing in deep through his nose, Morrel mentally started to recite a prayer to the angels and stretched his body, feeling his tense and lazy muscles get back into shape after hours of slumber. Upon finishing, Morrel felt loose, limber, and ready for the journey to the Starlight Peak training facility Veldor kept talking about.

But Mizuki was needed, too.

_Maybe she's doing stretches like I do, _Morrel thought idly, getting dressed in his battlemage garb and slipping on his glasses. They slid out of place, so Morrel had to put them back correctly on his nose. Satisfied, he exited the room and into the hallway, which was empty except for a pair of muttering Vedalken mages some yards away. Morrel ignored them and instead knocked on Mizuki's door. There was no answer.

"Mizuki! It's morning! Veldor will want to meet us soon. You know, in Sharuum's court? The Ethersworn, whoever they even are, will want to meet us too!" Morrel barked, raising his voice. Still, no one answered.

Knowing better than to keep Veldor and these "Ethersworn" people waiting, Morrel sighed and swung open Mizuki's door. "Hey, we really need to get going... huh?"

Morrel walked over to Mizuki's bed and gawked. She lay flat on her back, her black hair spread all over the place. She slept in an awkward pose that couldn't possibly be comfortable, but she seemed perfectly restful. Her left arm dangled over the side of the bed.

"Come on, wake up," Morrel said more gently, kneeling by Mizuki's side. He shook her shoulder, and she finally groaned and shifted a little.

"No, Morrel, stop doing that," she mumbled.

"I know, but you have to get up," Morrel insisted.

Mizuki shifted a little more. "But you haven't finished scrubbing the sea slugs yet, and I'm late for my pedicure. And put some clothes on. You're making me blush."

"What?" Morrel nearly fell over backwards at Mizuki's words, heart suddenly hammering. "A-are you dreaming?"

"Tell Azrael that his teapot isn't working," Mizuki grumbled, "And Rohkan's parrot keeps trying to eat all my Sphere shards. I think he..."

_She's just dreaming, _Morrel realized, resisting the sudden urge to laugh. He tapped his knuckles on her head. "Wake up, Mizuki. We're still here on Esper, and I'm fully dressed. Don't worry."

With a sudden lurch, Mizuki perked her head up, her eyes bleary with sleep. She drew her left arm to her side and blinked a few times, then woke up completely. "I don't need pedicures done for me like some shogun's wife, just so you know," she insisted. "That was just a dream. And it's good that you're fully dressed. Okay, I'll get up."

"Glad to have you back," Morrel grinned. Mizuki yawned widely and slowly got up, but she had undone the buttons on her short-sleeved shirt, and Morrel's stomach jumped as he accidentally looked down Mizuki's shirt. He could see rather a lot of cleavage. "H-hey!"

"Oh. I loosen up my clothes for sleeping," Mizuki smiled with slight embarrassment, buttoning her shirt up again and sitting up on her bed. "What's the matter? You're blushing!"

"I-it's nothing," Morrel insisted, clearing his throat.

"Really?" Mizuki asked, a teasing smirk crossing her face. "Or would you rather look again?"

"_Why _do you keep teasing me like that?"

"It's fun, that's all," Mizuki said mysteriously, planting her feet onto the floor and grasping Morrel's hand. She walked off and tugged on his arm. "Come on, let's not be late."

"That's what I was telling you..."

*o*o*o*o*

Sharuum's audience chamber looked the same as it had yesterday evening, except that a large portion of the ceiling was suddenly missing. The giant half-metal sphinx didn't seem to mind, however, and she looked pleased as Morrel and Mizuki entered the room, her lion tail flopping on the floor. Veldor stood nearby. "Welcome," Sharuum boomed. "Are you prepared for your journey?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Morrel responded firmly. Mizuki rubbed her eyes and yawned again, not bothering to say anything to the giant sphinx.

"Then we will -" Veldor started, but a group of three Vedalken shouldered past him and Mizuki, seeking an audience with Sharuum.

"Watch where you're going!" Mizuki snapped at them. "What are you guys, stupid?"

The lead Vedalken scowled at her, not breaking his stride. "We of the Sanctum Arcanum have pondered every word on every page of the Filigree Texts. If you can't say the same, don't bother speaking."

_Whoa. Do those guys know their stuff or what? _Morrel thought with awe, despite having no inkling what the Sanctum Arcanum or Filigree Texts were. All the same, the three Vedalken bowed before Sharuum and began speaking to her, so Morrel turned to Veldor. "Mizuki and I are still ready to go. Lead the way."

"Then let's get to the roof. The Ethersworn are waiting for us," Veldor added, walking over to them. He looked the same as ever, but the excited gleam in his brown eyes was now even stronger than before. He restlessly tossed about his blue cape.

Morrel stared at him. "The roof? Why?"

Veldor extended both of his hands. "Grab hold and you'll see," he offered. Morrel and Mizuki complied, and at once Veldor encased them in a humming aura of blue and white mana. Morrel's stomach lurched as the three of them levitated into the air as though propelled by a plume of hot air. They passed through the opening in Sharuum's ceiling and landed on the curvy roof, where the cool winds of Esper buffeted them from all sides. Morrel saw nothing of interest, but Veldor turned around and pointed. "There. He's coming," he stated.

"Oh my... Morrel, look!" Mizuki exclaimed, tugging on his arm again and pointing in the same direction Veldor did. At the ocean's horizon, huge, slate-gray cumulonimbus clouds hovered in the sky, but they instantly struck Morrel as artificial. Clean, well-defined cuts separated the clouds into what seemed almost like puzzle pieces, each cloud consisting of at least five to ten pieces that hovered close to each other. Every so often, the clouds would exchange pieces with each other as though swapping items at a bazaar. As Morrel watched, a chunk of a large, dark gray cloud broke off from the parent cloud, two of its sides as flat and smooth as a table's surface.

"Oh, you're more interested in the clouds? Those are Sage Clouds, known for their flexible and universal ideals of knowledge," Veldor explained. "But don't worry about those. Our guide is coming. See him?"

"What? Do those clouds contain knowledge?" Morrel asked, but Veldor only insisted on watching the flying figure that was emerging from the bizarre clouds. Morrel squinted but couldn't tell what he was looking at, and his glasses tilted out of place so he had to re-align them.

The flying figure drew closer and closer, and Morrel could soon see two huge wings flapping at the object's haunches and two thick arms hung from its shoulders. Its chest glowed vivid orange and yellow like the morning sun. Finally, the flying thing got within a few dozens yards and swooped down on a trajectory to land on the roof. As the creature landed, Morrel realized that it was a gargoyle. It sat like a cat on its hind legs, its humanoid head at least twenty feet up in the air. The gargoyle's body consisted of blue-silver Etherium and a cavity in its chest contained a foot-wide sphere that radiated yellow and orange. The gargoyle's heavy jaw parted and it huffed loudly, its glowing green eyes watching Morrel and Mizuki closely.

"Greeting unto you, Veldor," someone said. Off the gargoyle's back came a Vedalken, his right arm and leg consisting of Etherium replacements. He jumped off the gargoyle's back and landed heavily on the chrome roof, his deep blue cape billowing. He stood upright and shook Veldor's hand with his blue-skinned, flesh one.

"It's been too long, Chasma," Veldor said warmly. "Morrel, Mizuki, this is Chasma, a member of the Ethersworn and a good friend of mine. He, uh, can get us to Starlight Peak. Or rather, his gargoyle can. You know what I mean..."

Chasma laughed politely. "You still have to work on your social skills, Veldor," he reprimanded his human friend. "But I'm not here to berate you! I have an appointment with Sharuum and you have somewhere to be." The gargoyle huffed again and crouched lower, its green eyes vivid. "Take care of my gargoyle, would you? The storms are getting pretty bad and I don't want anything happening to my pet."

"I will be careful," Veldor nodded. "We will certainly make it there safely, and you have an appointment with Sharuum. Time is being wasted." Giving Veldor an amused look, Chasma walked off and levitated himself down to Sharuum's audience chamber floor in the same manner Veldor had gone up. Meanwhile, Veldor walked over to the gargoyle and bowed to it. The great metal beast rumbled in its throat and dipped its head in return.

"We're good to go. Board now, please," Veldor insisted.

Mizuki gestured impatiently. "How? I don't see a damned ladder or anything! That thing's big!"

"Oh, sorry. Um... watch me," Veldor corrected himself clumsily. He tapped on the gargoyle's left leg with his fingers, and it bent its arm to form a ramp shallow enough to let Veldor walk up and onto its shoulders. Amused, Morrel climbed up along with Mizuki, and the three riders now sat cross-legged on the gargoyle's upper back, right behind its head. A leather rein was attached to the gargoyle's neck and Veldor took it, gesturing for his two guests to take hold as well.

"How is this going to – whoooaaaaaaa!" Morrel howled as the gargoyle suddenly pumped its wide silvery wings, lifting off into the air with frightening speed and strength. With a few more wing flaps it reached a comfortable height, and at Veldor's guidance with the rein the gargoyle flew in a wide, banking curve and shot off toward the puzzle-piece clouds. The strong winds whipped mercilessly at Morrel's clothes and hair, but he couldn't help a sudden thrill at the ride. He gripped the gargoyle's rein tighter, not wanting his ride to end early.

"How long until we get there?" Mizuki shouted over the cold howling winds. Flecks of mist droplets hammered Morrel, slowly soaking him to the skin.

"Less than an hour. It is not a long journey, but is a perilous one!" Veldor told her over the gusty din. "Do not let go of the rein!"

"Why would I?" Mizuki retorted, but the three fell silent as Veldor expertly guided the gargoyle through the skies and farther away from Sharuum's palace. The gargoyle glided a little higher and flapped its wings even harder, but Morrel felt his gut clench in sudden alarm. The gargoyle passed the Sage Clouds only to witness menacing, gray-blue clouds rumbling and squirming in the sky like an angry dragon. Lightning flashed in the clouds and more and more damp wind kept pouring into the storm, fueling it further. The tempest easily dwarfed the gargoyle and the Sage Clouds, looming like a dragon before a mouse. Volcanoes rose from the ocean below, their hot air currents adding even more peril.

Even Veldor frowned in concern. "This is sooner than I thought," he stated. "A squall this strong could easily blow us off-course, or even drive us into an island or rock outcropping and smash us to pieces. I'll do what I can."

_You'd better! _Morrel thought tensely, irritated that he couldn't do anything to help. Veldor tugged on the gargoyle's reins and with a compliant grumble, the Etherium creature soared even higher, just in time to avoid a sudden blast of wind. The outer edges of the wind blast still buffeted the gargoyle with hurricane force, knocking it askew like a flimsy kite. The gargoyle groaned with strain as it fought against the wind blasts now cris-crossing through the sky, not to mention the lightning. Morrel tried not to lose his breakfast as the gargoyle spun, dived, and banked to narrowly avoid the worst of the storm. By Veldor's guidance, the gargoyle slowly made its way closer to its destination, but the storm made every effort to get in the way.

Veldor glanced to his left. "As I thought! We have company! I'm about to barrel-roll!"

"You must be joking!" Mizuki shrieked in alarm, but Veldor ignored her and gave the gargoyle another command. It ducked and did the promised barrel-roll, just in time to evade a sudden, thick mana beam that sliced through the air. The beam faded away, its brilliant orange and yellow colors a relief against the dark storm. A new gargoyle glided over and flew abreast Veldor's, a short Vedalken riding it.

"This is as far as you go, Veldor!" the Vedalken roared. "The Ethersworn society is no friend of yours! Even if some of us still like you, the leaders do not! I will gain the secrets of Starlight's Peak and I'll send you and your little friends to the bottom of the sea!"

_There's that competition Sharuum warned us about! _Morrel realized. The yellow beam had come from his own gargoyle's chest-orb, which was still glowing and radiating heat from the blast.

"Not today, I promise you," Veldor shouted back. "I am going to the Peak for my allies' benefit, and I won't let someone like you interfere. Get away before I must harm you."

The Vedalken only laughed. "Empty threat, human!"

With that, he banked his gargoyle away just as a wind blast suddenly rocked Veldor's mount, making it wobble and twist awkwardly in the air. The Ethersworn Vedalken took his chance and fired his gargoyle's chest cannon again before Veldor could prepare to dodge it. Thinking fast, Morrel raised his hands and bellowed over the damp wind, "Hearts of light, seas of darkness, angels high, beasts below, shield me from this harm!" The yellow beam slammed against the Hindering Light shield, sparks and gouts of mana loudly flying from the point of contact. Within seconds, the shield shattered but it still dispersed the beam enough to let Veldor get out of harm's way.

"Good," Veldor praised simply. He swooped his gargoyle past a bolt of lightning and glided his mount higher into the storm, trying to lose the Vedalken in the writhing dark storm. For good measure, Veldor also twisted and zig-zagged his way through the tempest to further throw off his adversary. As the seconds passed, Morrel dared to think that the enemy Ethersworn was gone, but at that instant, the Ethersworn's gargoyle appeared at Veldor's right and tackled Veldor's own gargoyle. The two flying giants grappled and strained against each other, each trying to throw off the other and cast it into the storm. Veldor's gargoyle raked its claws against the enemy gargoyle's chest and slashed off Etherium, but the enemy gargoyle smashed its fist on Veldor's mount and kicked it away with a hind leg. Then, the Ethersworn's gargoyle fired its chest cannon for a third time.

This time, Veldor had time to react. He once again barrel-rolled his gargoyle and evaded the beam, but the beam still vaporized a layer of armor off his gargoyle's left haunch, making it rumble in distress. Still, Veldor urged his mount forward and it pumped its wings hard, catching up to the enemy gargoyle and firing its own beam. The Ethersworn gargoyle easily escaped, riding a wind current to move fast enough. Switching from that air current to another, the gargoyle effortlessly glided to Veldor's mount and pummeled it, sending it falling out of the storm and toward the ocean below.

"Damn it! He's good at using the winds," Veldor cursed. A rocky slate island with crystal trees lay directly below, and the gargoyle didn't seem to have enough time to avoid a crash-landing. Even worse, the Ethersworn's gargoyle dived in pursuit, firing its beam again. Veldor's gargoyle twisted to the side and let the beam stab into the island instead, turning the stone molten wherever it touched. The Ethersworn's gargoyle tried to tackle Veldor's gargoyle, but at Veldor's command, his mount squirmed and slammed the Ethersworn's gargoyle against the island's rocky surface, tearing hunks of armor off of the creature.

Aggravated, the rival Vedalken urged his creature upwards, catching up quickly to Veldor's wounded mount. The two creatures maintained their course toward Starlight Peak, engaging in a fierce dance around each other, firing their chest cannons everywhere. Morrel hung on for dear life as his mount did all kinds of acrobatics, each gargoyle trading glancing blows with their chest cannons. As the squall fell behind, Morrel thought that Veldor would regain the advantage, but he was wrong. Veldor moved his gargoyle close for a point-blank shot, but the enemy gargoyle seized it and gained the upper hand. Its chest cannon aimed right at the head of Veldor's gargoyle.

"This is where you die, Veldor!" the Vedalken shouted in victory, his mount's cannon glowing bright for the finishing kill.

As the cannon glowed brighter, Mizuki suddenly stood up, her giant right arm pointing at the enemy gargoyle with its index finger. "No you don't!" Mizuki roared, and a beam of dark purple-black mana shot out of her finger and stabbed into the chest cannon of the Vedalken's gargoyle, shattering it.

"No... noooooooo!" the Vedalken howled, shocked and dismayed by the sudden reversal. Grinning fiercely, Veldor twitched his gargoyle's rein and the creature rumbled an affirmative, its own chest cannon glowing to life. Morrel had to shield his eyes as the energy beam cored into the enemy gargoyle, vaporizing it into glowing hunks of metal. The Vedalken himself was nowhere to be seen.

"There. That should do it. We really should get going," Veldor said rather conversationally, as though he had shooed away a bothersome fly. Still, he seemed exhausted as he led the gargoyle onwards through the now-empty sky.

Morel fought to get his heart rate down. "Whoa. Great flying, Veldor. And nice move, Mizuki. I forgot that you could do that, fire that mana beam."

"I can't, really," Mizuki admitted, her right arm still fully manifested. "Maretta could make me fire that at will when she controlled me with her whip, but I'll have to learn to use it on my own. I guess that's why we're going to Starlight Peak: learning new spells like that."

"Most certainly," Veldor nodded. "Oh, look. We're very close now. We've reached the Grid Sky."

"The what... no way!" Morrel howled at the sight. Up ahead, there lay more clouds but these towering gray cumulonimbus formations floated serenely in the sky without rain or thunder. Even more interesting, they seemed to have been cleanly sliced in half by a giant cleaver, and each cloud floated with the upper half floating a few hundred yards above the lower half, the two perfectly flat surfaces mirroring each other. Beyond that, the sky was inky black and shone with thousands of stars, and giant blue magic lines cris-crossed the entire sky from horizon to horizon like a massive heavenly grid. It reminded Morrel of astronomy charts he had seen at the Akrasa castle observatory, but this was on a whole new level!

"This is... so beautiful!" Mizuki sighed, as taken by the sight as Morrel was. "Let me see..." She got out her courier capsule and tapped it with a finger, conjuring Sora, her homunculus friend. Sora sat on her lap like a child and observed the sky with his big black eyes. "Isn't this sight so pretty, Sora?" Mizuki glowed.

Sora nodded once. "Yes. Beautiful."

"Good boy!" Mizuki cheered, hugging Sora tight. The little blue child looked a little perturbed.

*o*o*o*o*

The white marble and brick buildings caught the glare of the sun, nearly blinding Rohkan as he stood on top of the tallest tower he could reach. In fact, he stood on top of a cathedral's tallest tower, the ornate carvings, gargoyles, and tall stain-glass windows exhibiting amazing architectural beauty. The Vedalken swordsman paid no attention, however, and merely scanned the bustling urban landscape with a hand shielding his hard, dark eyes from the sun. Various buildings, from churches to guild office centers to apartments to banks thrust their roofs and towers to the sky as if in a silent competition. In fact, a few of the structures even floated, resting on enchanted chunks of land. From up here, Rohkan could barely see the millions of pedestrians crowding the wide brick streets below, and he could even hear their faint combined babble.

A zombified drake swooped quickly through the air and hovered near Rohkan's tower, flapping its tattered wings to keep aloft. Its mount, Maretta, detached her blue mana whip from the creature's neck and leaped onto the tower to join Rohkan, letting the drake screech and fly away.

"I found some promising leads!" Maretta bubbled, dissipating her whip's blue cord and holstering the leather handle on her belt.

"What are they?" Rohkan grunted, folding his arms together.

"Well, I found a district here in Ravnica where no one is allowed to go," Maretta offered, running a hand through her long, dark ponytail. She rested her other hand on her curvy hip. "It's called Dalmar District and is kind of like the Rubblefield, but this area is even bigger and was torn apart by the ten guilds all trying to acquire a powerful magic item in the district."

"A shard of the Sphere of Ages," Rohkan concluded, starting to feel a little more excited. "Then we will go."

"It's not that easy, you know," Maretta pouted. "I said no one can get there because the guilds are all deadlocked and have a bunch of their forces around Dalmar District. Even we would get torn apart trying to get in!"

Getting impatient, Rohkan gestured with all four arms. "Then what do you suggest? Sooner or later, the Planeswalkers working against us will arrive and try to get it themselves."

"So we let them go first and then follow them!" Maretta said happily. "If they manage to get into Dalmar District, then we get right behind them and then fight off anyone who gets near the shard. Then we nab it and Planeswalk away!"

Rohkan turned back to the sprawling cityscape. "That could take a very long time."

"Well, there is _one _way we might speed this up," Maretta suggested. "The Festival of the Guildpact is coming up soon, but after it, there's an exciting event that's bound to draw our enemies near us."

"What is this event?" Rohkan rested his hands on the hilts of his swords.

"You'll see," Maretta smiled.

*o*o*o*o*

**Sharuum the Hegemon, Filigree Sages, Ethersworn Adjudicator, Esper Panorama, Countersquall, Hindering Light, Island (Chippy), Courier's Capsule, Homunculus (creature token), Plains (Richard Wright), Tattered Drake**


	19. Chapter 19

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 19**

The chilly, damp air above Starlight's Peak seemed to be sliced apart as Mizuki's giant talons slashed through it, aimed right at Morrel's head. Grunting, the bruised and breathless Bant battlemage saw the threat just in time and rolled out of the way. Metal screeched and sparks flew into the air as Mizuki's talons gouged against the smooth metal floor of the training arena on Starlight Peak's roof, and Morrel shivered to think what would happen if he had been a little slower. Still, as Mizuki landed on the floor from her mid-air pounce, Morrel took his chance and got out a two handful of knives to hurl at Mizuki, drawing up his modest amount of red mana.

Quick as ever, Mizuki countered with a gesture of her left arm, and a dozen thick black tentacles of mana lashed through the air at Morrel like the tentacles of a hungry octopus, forcing him to maneuver out of the way yet again. Morrel gritted his teeth as three tentacles sliced against his left leg, sending hit flares of pain through his nerves. For good measure, Mizuki pointed her right hand's index finger and fired her concentrated beam of black mana, and Morrel slipped to the side and let the beam slash through empty air.

Desperate to fire back, Morrel flung his knives at top speed and fed his whole reserve of red mana into the flying weapons. The knives erupted into fireballs that lit up the whole arena, the sudden heat and energy buffeting Mizuki like a hurricane from a fiery hell. The back of her giant right arm took the brunt of the fire and she was knocked to the arena floor, but she nimbly leaped back to her feet for another round while Morrel barely staggered back to his own feet, sweat running down his face.

"Come on! Are you already tired?" Mizuki taunted him. "We've only been training today for an hour and a half!"

"And you're _not _tired?" Morrel muttered back, his mind whirring to figure out a good strategy. Before he could, the third trainee entered into the fight. Razor-sharp disks the size of teacup saucers whirled through the air every which way, and Morrel barely got out his knives in time to deflect them, his nerves strained to the breaking point. Mizuki let her cursed right arm's thick skin endure three disks, then she lunged after Veldor for a talon strike. Veldor easily pounced away on his Etherium-plated legs, already several feet into the air. His Etherium left arm, which had launched the razor disks, now sprayed stun needles every which way. Mizuki shifted her attack momentum in order to evade them, but one of them pierced her back and she faltered, suddenly clumsy.

Taking his chance, Morrel charged and leaped after Mizuki, knives raised for the assault and a battle cry escaping his lips. Mizuki caught on, however, and sent more black mana tentacles lashing through the air, and Morrel landed heavily on the ground, raising his hands and focusing blue and white mana on them. "Hearts of light, seas of -"

The shield only started to flicker to life when several mana tentacles slapped Morrel aside, aborting the Hindering Light and sending him rolling painfully across the arena's floor. Veldor charged and extended his short sword blade from his metal left hand, swinging for Morrel's head. Panicking, Morrel rolled away and let Veldor strike the bare arena floor, and Morrel swept his legs at Veldor's and sent the Esper native collapsing in a heap. Morrel raised his hands for a Hindering Light to trap Veldor in place, but suddenly, five white talons gently pressed themselves at Morrel's neck. He slowly turned around, groaning at the gloating expression on Mizuki's face as she held his neck in a precarious grip with her cursed right hand.

"That's it. I win," Mizuki declared, breathless but excited. She lowered her hand and Morrel helped Veldor up, the three of them lowering their guards and weaponry.

"Hmmmmm. May need to increase efficiency even more," Veldor muttered to himself, holding his Etherium left arm in his right, squinting at it. "Projectiles are remarkably easy for you both to deflect and evade. Will work on that." Still muttering to himself, he wandered over to his own corner of the facility's roof to tinker with his arm some more.

"That was some training session, huh?" Morrel panted, joining Mizuki's side.

The Kamigawa Planeswalker nodded with a self-satisfied smirk. "Yeah. After four days training here, I've won nineteen matches, Veldor won eight, and you won five. This is fun!"

"Yeah, for you maybe," Morrel grouched. "I don't understand how I'm so far behind. I've trained for combat since I was young back on Bant."

"How young?"

Morrel made a wry grin despite his bitter mood. "I'd sleep with my stuffed bear toy after training every night during my first year."

"Adorable," Mizuki commented, half-meaning it. She wandered off and Morrel followed. "But it ain't enough to catch up with me! I'm getting better with my tendrils of corruption. Have you seen how many I can conjure at once now?"

Morrel clapped a hand to his thigh scrapes. "I've felt how many you can make, too."

"Well, that just shows how great I am!"

Morrel gnashed his teeth, losing his patience. "Come on, this isn't a joke. We were miles behind the skill level of Azrael and his minions and we probably still are. And this progress is slower than I expected."

"That's just sore loser talk," Mizuki prodded him. The damp wind kept toying with her black hair and she brushed some of it out of her face. "Though it is fun beating your butt!"

"I'm trying here!" Morrel exploded, then took a deep breath. "Look, I just want to prove that I'm not a liability. I'm a warrior at heart and I've got what it takes."

"Your training record says otherwise."

Morrel stopped. "Maybe if you'd slow down a little then I could make more progress! How is it 'training' if you get behind me and put your talons to my neck?"

Mizuki's post-victory cheer faded and her face fell. "Don't be stupid. You've got to be ready for stuff like that! Veldor isn't our babysitter."

"Well..." Morrel fought for words, his mind whirring angrily. His heart hammered. "If you and Veldor weren't so damn conceited I could get some real work done! Instead you're kicking me around like some damn bully! I'm the better warrior here. Let me prove it!"

"The better warrior?" Mizuki stomped a bare foot, her right arm swelling back to cursed mode in her sudden anger. "What's that supposed to mean? Even if you've trained since you were a youngster, you've got a long way to go! We all do, so don't act spoiled!"

"That's not how it is!" Morrel snapped back. His glasses slid out of place again but he ignored that. "Don't you act high and mighty around me, you petty thief! Don't hold yourself above a battlemage!"

Morrel heard Mizuki's sudden shout of anger but didn't see her right arm lashing through the air until it was too late. The next thing he knew, stars exploded in his vision and he tumbled heavily across the arena floor, new bruises throbbing on his chest.

"How dare you?" Mizuki shouted, slashing her claws at Morrel again and again like an animal. Morrel scrambled out of the way and back to his feet, letting the arena's metal floor take the blows instead. Mizuki finally stopped her assault and stood in place as she glared wordlessly at Morrel, her eyes silently speaking volumes. She made a huff of spite and whirled around, her right arm still fully manifested as she stalked off toward her private corner of the rooftop arena. Morrel knew better than to follow her.

*o*o*o*o*

The evening found Morrel seated cross-legged at his corner of the facility's roof, eyes closed and his mind and expression equally blank. Only faint soreness remained from the day's training sessions and inner calm once again soothed Morrel's heart with the grace and patience of the angels. The wind whipped across his face and the waves crashed loudly against Starlight's Peak's base, but the Bant battlemage merely rested in his meditative trance, the outside world reduced to a distant whisper of activity.

Until a familiar pair of bare feet came wandering over, and Morrel cracked his eyes open, staring at Esper's endless, storm-torn seas.

"Meditating? I should have guessed," Mizuki's voice said with mingled amusement and approval. She invited herself over, settling next to Morrel in a cross-legged position. She too stared at the ocean, her right arm completely normal by now. "You wouldn't find me relaxing peacefully after getting beaten up at training and then the scuffle we had afterwards."

Morrel opened his eyes a little more, letting the real world and its concerns seep back into him. "Huh? What _would _you be doing?"

Mizuki perked her head to the side a little. "Stealing, sulking, fuming, that sort of thing."

"Figures," Morrel chuckled. "But you're forgetting: I've learned how to find inner serenity no matter the situation. I haven't learned it to the extent that the Rhox masters have back home, but I try. Yerkel helped me learn this skill."

"Oh yeah, your rhino friends back home," Mizuki remarked. She fell silent for a moment, shifting her position. She tucked her knees up under her chin, still watching the ocean. "Are you still angry?"

Morrel couldn't help a quick smile. "No one can meditate while angry. I've cooled off."

"So have I." Mizuki waited another few seconds. "It was wrong of me."

"Huh?"

"I pushed you around even after beating you at training," Mizuki elaborated. "Sorry about that. It's because of me that you got angry and upset. It's all my fault."

"Not really," Morrel rushed to her defense. "It was my doing. I got jealous of you and took it out on you like a child. Don't blame yourself."

Mizuki fought back an amused smile. "You're still defending me, even after I slapped you around with my cursed hand? Anyone else would ask for a free hit back."

"You're forgetting about my sense of honor. I wouldn't strike an unjust blow to you just out of petty revenge or getting even." Morrel's smile came back. "You know me better than that."

"I suppose I do," Mizuki admitted, unable to hold her smile back any longer. "But that just means I realize how little I actually do know about you."

"Well, it's the same with me," Morrel added, wanting a change of topic. "I know how you got your curse and that you lived as a wild thief, but nothing beyond that."

"You go first," Mizuki offered, shifting a little closer to Morrel.

"Go first with what?"

"With something I don't know about you."

"Oh." Morrel shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. "Um... well, you know that I competed with my bigger brother Raphael, right? I'd always try to outdo him. When we were kids, it was kind of... nasty. We'd always beat each other up, usually him beating me to see who was strongest. One day, we were doing that near a small cliff and I tried to swing hard at Raphael and take him out." Morrel grimaced. "But I missed him and accidentally threw myself over the cliff, tumbling all the way down. I broke and arm and a leg."

Mizuki returned the grimace, a hand over her mouth. "Ouch."

"But the funny thing was," Morrel continued, "is that Raphael not only forgave me for trying to bash his head in, but he climbed all the way down the short cliff and carried me back to the Akrasan castle on his back. From that day on, we resolved to not attack each other violently. We'd respect each other's skills and duel only at designated sparring arenas. What didn't change is that he still remained much stronger than I."

Mizuki hid a giggle behind her hand. "You just can't help getting beat up all the time, can you?"

"That's not funny!" Morrel bristled, then calmed down and almost laughed. "Well, maybe it is, now that I think about it."

"Whatever you say," Mizuki smiled back. "Did I mention that I too had a sibling?"

Morrel's stomach lurched with curiosity. "No at all."

"I had a sister at my home village in the Jukai Forest. She was three years younger than me. Her name was Hana, meaning 'flower'." Mizuki's face fell a little. "I guess I wasn't much different than you and Raphael. I was kind of a bully and messed around with my sister and the other village kids, but our parents didn't often notice. Dad was a hunter and mom had gone to the Orochi to learn how to craft nature, so that left Hana and I to our own devices. I... was not a very nice big sister, now that I recall."

For a second Morrel wanted to rush to her defense, tell Mizuki that she was indeed a kind person, but he reconsidered. Instead, he offered, "I hope something changed between you and your sister?"

"One day, our dad caught me trying to steal," Mizuki told him heavily, "and I had told Hana not to rat me out, but she did anyway. She tipped my dad off and he caught me. Then Hana went and admitted the other misdeeds I had often done, and my dad punished me for them all. He promised that it would be a week before I could leave the village while I was being punished, but halfway through that week, the black lizard Kami attacked."

Tears started to fall down Mizuki's face. "You know what happened at that point. Everyone died except me, and only hours before the attack I had decided to make a big, heartfelt apology to my dad and sister at the end of the week when my punishment was over. But I didn't get the chance to show some kindness... the Kami slaughtered everyone while I hid, miraculously spared. I pleaded with the lizard kami to bring back my family and village so I could apologize to them, and it offered to do so if I agreed to become its servant and accept a spike of mind-control magic. Then, as you know, it cursed me to turn me into it monstrous follower and I Planeswalked away."

"I'm... sorry to hear that," Morrel trembled. He was tempted to tell her that she was merely a victim, but she had chosen to live a solitary life of wandering and stealing. What could he say to her?

"I wonder how we even got on this topic?" Mizuki commented, her voice getting a little more steady. "It's not like me to get all choked up like this, but... well, I guess I had it coming sooner or later. Right?"

Morrel wrapped his arms around Mizuki and held her tight, surprising himself as much as her. "Relax, Mizuki," he told her gently. "It's not weak to confide things like that to others. It shows that you trust me, just the way I trust you."

"Oh, not this honor stuff again," Mizuki joked.

"It's not that. It's just us talking, friend to friend," Morrel corrected her. "Yes, I think of you as my friend, and I'd risk my life to keep you safe."

"You're going from bad to worse," Mizuki prodded, even though Morrel could hear that she was touched.

"You know, I've wondered for a while... why do you keep taunting me all the time? Is it just for the fun of getting a reaction?" Morrel tried to say it politely and curiously.

The Kamigawa Planeswalker shrugged with a playful smile. "Maybe later, I'll tell you the rest. For now, we have to focus on the training."

Morrel stood, fists clenched. "Speaking of the training... I was being petty earlier, when I was jealous about you doing better at training. Even after all you've been through, you keep fighting. That doesn't leave me with any excuses. I'll be back in a bit." He turned and strode across the arena floor toward Veldor.

"What are you going to do?" Mizuki called after him.

Morrel looked over his shoulder. "Veldor's bound to know the secrets of this place pretty well. I wonder if he can show me anything that can help me make some faster progress?"

*o*o*o*o*

"You should know, uh, this place hasn't been used in quite some time," Veldor cautioned Morrel awkwardly, leading the Bant battlemage to the top floor of Starlight's Peak. Rusted training equipment lay everywhere, emphasizing the artificer's point. Still, Morrel got the feeling that something useful was hiding in here somewhere and he intended to find it.

Further into the facility they went until Veldor led Morrel into a vast room where an ornate metal sphere rested on a wide, curvy dais. The room's walls stopped short, leaving a vast opening where the dark sky and bright stars of Esper could be seen. Metallic cobwebs and rust caked the large sphere, which Morrel guessed was big enough to let him stand comfortably inside. "What is this thing?" Morrel inquired.

"This, mmmmmm... a training orb, but it's usually an astrolabe. Of Etherium," Veldor supplied. "But, well, this thing is not for combat... that is, um..."

"Just say it," Morrel insisted.

Veldor jolted. "This astrolabe used to function as an observation tool but can also be turned inwards. That is, you can enter your own mind and learn about yourself. Explore the inner universe rather than the external one."

Excitement leaped into Morrel's gut and he walked up the wide, shallow steps on the dais, boots clacking over shiny blue metal. "I like the sound of that. How do I activate it?"

"Well, no one's used it in years. I doubt it functions anymore," Veldor admitted, running his organic right hand over his Etherium left arm, "but if you do somehow get it working, touch the metal with both hands, focus your mana on it, and think only about yourself. Let go of the material world that surrounds you."

_Maybe this rust ball can help me figure out what is hindering me, _Morrel figured, his excitement unabated by Veldor's doubts. He ran his hands along the sphere's ornate surface, but a thick, rough layer of rust and spiderwebs grated against his fingers and he couldn't find a way to open the astrolabe to get inside. "How do you open this?"

"It opens with a mental command," Veldor called over, "but Morrel, I really don't think this will work. There are other options we can try..."

"No. I can do this," Morrel said firmly, mostly to himself. He closed his eyes and ran his hands over the astrolabe's cluttered surface, welling up his green mana for the only green-mana spell he knew. "Beasts of burden, birds of flight, trees of fruit, gardens of flowers, nature does not tolerate artifice in her bosom!"

At Morrel's words, vivid green mana slowly seeped across the astrolabe's surface like a gas cloud, sizzling away the rust and cobwebs that welded it shut and locked away its power. The progress was arduous, however, so Morrel frowned and concentrated harder, cursing his deficiency in green mana. _I'm a blue-white kind of mage, not a nature shaman. Still, I'm lucky that I can use red and green at all! _Sweating from the effort, Morrel tensed his muscles and heaved more mana into his naturalizing spell and when he opened his eyes, the astrolabe gleamed with perfection, not one spot tarnishing its dazzling surface.

Veldor walked up to join Morrel, his deep blue cape swishing as he moved. His normally dull eyes widened in wonder at the sight of the astrolabe. "It's breathtaking," he breathed. "Imagine what knowledge could be gained from this! Astrolabes have become rare lately, such a shame... use it, Morrel, and tell me how it is!"

"I'm going already," Morrel grinned, mentally desiring to use the astrolabe's secondary function. At the command, a section of the orb's surface swung open like a hatch and Morrel climbed right in, the door closing again by itself. Remembering Veldor's instructions, Morrel placed both hands on the astrolabe's inner surface, channeled mana from his four colors, and focused his thoughts only on himself.

Everything went black.

Very black. Morrel blinked several times, fighting back sudden panic in his stomach as his eyes refused to pick up any light. _Did this thing blind me? Is it still broken? Someone help me! _Morrel flailed in the dark, unable to even feel the walls of the astrolabe. Then, he realized that he could still see his own body just fine, as though a spotlight shone upon him. He froze as another spotlight came on just ten feet or so in front of him, and another being stood in that light.

"Who the...?" Morrel gasped as he stared at a perfect copy of himself. The other Morrel smirked back, only amusement and contempt in his eyes.

"Surprised?" the other Morrel taunted, spreading his arms wide and taking a few steps closer. "To see yourself? Well, you shouldn't be. This is a place of inner reflection! Who else did you expect to see?" His voice echoed in the dark void, but the original Morrel's voice didn't.

"Well, I didn't expect there to be two of me," Morrel defended himself, finding it strange to argue with his own self. "I expected a meditation realm, or -"

"Ah hahahaha!" the other Morrel threw back his head and laughed. When he lowered his head again, a nasty predatory look contorted his features. "You're a Bant guy, all right. But I am not! In fact, it would only confuse you to explain what I am. I can say, though, that I always become the person who uses me. And it's been _so _long since anyone came in here. You're pretty welcome company, my battlemage friend."

Morrel felt the sudden need to raise his guard. "All right, then, I can live with this. But what am I supposed to do? Will you tell – uuurrrgh!"

Sudden, sharp pain lashed through Morrel's gut as the copy-Morrel suddenly stood before him, knife in hand. _His leap... it was too fast to see! _Morrel gasped in his head, acutely aware of the knife blade stuck in his gut. It was one of his throwing knives! That is, from the copy-Morrel's pocket. "Wh... what was that for?"

A quick roundhouse kick exploded against Morrel's head, sending him crashing to an unseen but perfectly hard floor. His vision flashed as he hit his head on the floor and the copy-Morrel strode right over him, his predatory look sharper than ever.

"You're so weak, Morrel! How have you survived this long against Azrael's minions?" the copy leered, his fists tightening.

"H... how do you... know that?" Morrel gasped.

The copy exhaled sharply. "I _am _you, Morrel! I know everything you do. Memories, personality, habits, even your favorite foods! I know how your training has gone so far. You're slowly weaning yourself off those cumbersome spell chants, but you're frustrated with your slow progress, aren't you? You're furious that Mizuki is so much better than you, huh? You just want to curl up and die, right?"

"Stop that!" Morrel barked, slowly getting to his feet. "None of that is true and you know it!"

"Don't I?" the copy countered. "Like I said, I _know _you! Your jealousy is beyond imagination! You're eighteen and you still harbor so many grudges? One would think you were six."

Snapping, Morrel hurled three knives at his copy, who merely flicked a hand and conjured a Hindering Light that deflected all three knives. Not giving up, Morrel pushed off his left foot and rocketed at his foe, his hardened fists swishing through the air. The copy-Morrel only chuckled and evaded every blow as though reading Morrel's mind, and then the copy jabbed his elbow at Morrel's face, sending him reeling.

Hoping that his nose wasn't broken, Morrel gritted his teeth and quickly raised his guard and warded off his copy's furious counterattack, barely able to read the copy's movements in time to avoid them. Then Morrel found his chance: as the copy threw a quick jab to the right, Morrel seized the copy's arm and redirected his momentum, bringing a look of shock to the copy's face for the first time. Morrel shouted as he heaved the copy to the dark floor, the copy's back slamming against the surface and his whole body shaking. Morrel drew a knife to pacify the copy, but the copy slipped his arms around Morrel's legs and wrecked his balance, sending Morrel collapsing to the floor next to his copy. Both Morrels scrambled to their feet, fists and feet clashing against each other as soon as they got back to combat form.

"It's no use!" the copy roared triumphantly. He did several backflips and hurled a quartet of knives, channeling red mana into them. Morrel quickly raised his hands to perform the Hindering Light spell but was too slow. The knives exploded around him and he felt his flesh and clothes burning. He stumbled back, coughing.

Out of the smoke came the copy, launching a flying kick. Morrel only barely blocked it with his arms, sinking a hard blow into the copy's stomach that sent the copy stumbling back. Morrel pounced to finish the fight, only to feel the copy's sudden kick blast him back.

"You just don't learn, do you?" the copy sneered, taking a few steps toward his sore and coughing opponent. "You're too feeble to stop even yourself! Why does Mizuki bother to travel with someone like you? What a child you are."

"Don't... look down on me!" Morrel spat back, but his body ached and he doubted that he could keep up with the copy's physical attacks much longer.

"All you can do is bark back," the copy commented, coming to a halt and jabbing an accusing finger at Morrel. "Both in here and real life! You always want to beat your opponents but guess what? You get yourself trashed and you squirm in the mud! Who _wouldn't _look down on you?"

A blow to the head and knee to the stomach sent Morrel back down to the ground once again, curled up in a ball of aches and trembles. _Come on... he's not going to let up. I'm better than this! I can beat him if I find a way! But is there really a way? Is willpower alone enough? It often works that ways in legends, but I'm no legendary figure..._

"You could die of shame," the copy persisted, standing over Morrel, knives in hand. "In fact, why don't I become your personal shame? That way, you really can die of your shame!"

_I'm not able to beat him... I'll get killed by my own self! _Morrel thought frantically, panic rising even higher. _I don't have the power... wait, isn't that the whole point? I'm in training because I feel incompetent! I have to _get _the power I need, from wherever I can think to find it! _Sudden willpower blossomed in his head as the copy's knives came down. _I'm learning new powers and abilities, and so are Mizuki and Veldor. It's time I put the theory to practice!_

Just as the copy's knives came close, Morrel rolled out of the way, blue and green and white mana flooding from his outstretched hands. The copy's expression turned to shock as massive, semi-opaque crystals grew from the dark floor and encased both of his hands, trapping him in place.

"What did you do? What is this?" the copy raged, squirming helplessly against his restraints.

Morrel panted as he stood back up. "I... just reached out and went by instinct. I recognize that spell! It's the crystallization spell I've heard older battlemages talk about. I... I never thought I'd be able to do it myself. And I didn't say the chant."

Fighting back a spiteful look, the copy admitted, "Well, how about that. In your moment of humility, you bounced back."

"What do you mean?" Morrel inquired. _Was I being humble?_

The copy sighed. "Do you know why you've been having trouble with battle all this time? Put in one word: spite. You see someone stronger than you, and you react with empty defiance against their superior ability. You'd charge right at them, not admitting that it's a fool's mistake."

Morrel blinked. "Are you saying... that I had too much pride in my own ability, and that pride reacted with defiance in the face of greater power?"

"Yes, which is why your humility let you escape a certain mental death," the copy elaborated, still straining against the crystals. "Listen up, Morrel: you have to connect with yourself at the deepest levels... all your strengths, and all your weaknesses. The first step to improving something is knowing what's wrong with it. Give up your spite and jealousy, and you can react to superior force with confidence and respect, rather than hollow rage. Living in your brother's shadow really fostered this negative attitude in you."

Thinking back to his many friendly and unfriendly sparring sessions with Raphael, Morrel felt everything clicking into place. "Thank you, astrolabe projection. With understanding comes progress."

"If you say so," the copy grumbled. "Finish it. You can't escape until I'm gone."

Morrel took a few steps closer. "Does this mean I am more powerful now?"

"No," the copy bit back. "This means you now know how to become more powerful. You don't gain strength with a snap of the fingers! Don't slip back into your old ways, understand?"

"If you say so," Morrel nodded, then raised his hands and enveloped his copy with more crystal, completely encasing him. One knife thrown at the crystal's surface shattered the entire cocoon, splitting the copy into millions of fragments. In an instant, all the light of the world came flooding back, and Morrel found himself sweaty and tired, slumped at the bottom of the astrolabe. Still, he slowly got to his feet and clamored back out.

Veldor's expression turned apprehensive. "Did it work?"

"Yeah... it did," Morrel grinned. "A little self-reflection helped me. I feel ready to get back to training soon. Let's get back to the roof."

"Uh... yes, of course, back to the roof," Veldor muttered, walking with Morrel back to where Esper's storm tides raged.

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel hoped for a good training session that evening, but a new occurrence changed that.

"Is it the enemy?" Mizuki shouted in alarm, her cursed right arm swelling to full size as a fiery gate to the Blind Eternities opened up and a figure confidently strode out. Morrel felt chills of adrenaline down his back as he prepared for a fight, wondering if it was Rohkan, Maretta, or Azrael himself who came.

It was an elf lady.

"So these are the new kids, Veldor!" the elf lady smiled, waving a hand to dispel her fiery gate. She rested one hand on her curvy hip, her expression kind and excited. Her ears extended farther than any human's and tapered to a point and her figure was rather like Maretta's, curvy and slender but also tough and strong. Her dark brown leather clothing sported a belt with hunting knives, a coil of rope, a hammer and chisel, and a blow dart launch tube, all of which looked like wilderness survival gear to Morrel. The elf's hair fell in two long braided ponytails down her back, the ends tied with one red ribbon each.

"H-hello again, Zoira!" Veldor perked up, striding over to her. "Morrel, Mizuki, this is..."

"They heard you say my name, okay?" Zoira laughed easily. She clapped a hand to his shoulder. "Don't wind yourself tight. We're all friends here."

"O-of course we are," Veldor mumbled, his face going red. He avoided Zoira's eyes – was he afraid of her?

Mizuki lowered her cursed right arm and shrank it back to normal. "So you're the one Veldor has mentioned? The other Planeswalker that Geyosha's ghost recruited to stop Azrael's plan to use the Sphere of Ages?"

"I'm the one," Zoira smiled. "You must be Mizuki, right? The lady with a cursed arm?"

"Uh... yeah," Mizuki muttered, looking down at her right arm. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Relax, okay?" Zoira assured her, walking over to her and placing both hands on Mizuki's shoulders. "Your arm is monstrous but you use it for the right reasons. And besides, you're rather pretty otherwise!"

"I-I, um, sure," Mizuki yelped, reddening and looking away. "Are you joining us for training?"

Zoira shook her head. "Training's over, guys, at least for now. We can't wait any longer."

Morrel's stomach writhed. "Why not? Did something happen?"

"No, but something will," Zoira declared, stepping back from Mizuki. "I've been tracking Azrael's minions for some time, and his top two agents, the Planeswalkers Maretta and Rohkan, are now on Ravnica. There's a Sphere shard there in a battle-damaged district and a lot of the local warriors and mages have created a deadlock around it. No one dares make a move, but I bet that Rohkan and Maretta will find a way to the Sphere shard. It's up to us to get there and find a way before they do."

"Do you have any leads?" Morrel asked, hoping he wouldn't be dragged off to a wild aven chase.

"One or two," Zoira smiled, "but it's fun to look for more. Mizuki, let's go. Take Morrel with you the usual way. Just follow my steps in the Blind Eternities."

"I know, I know," Mizuki replied impatiently. "Veldor, will you come too?"

The Esper Planeswalker shook his head. "No, you three should be able to handle this. I'll track Azrael himself, see what he's doing. He may try to recruit more Planeswalkers to his side or find another Sphere shard. In either case, I'll make sure to let you all know."

"Speaking of which," Zoira offered, "Don't _we_ have a Sphere shard?"

Mizuki produced the crystal fragment from her pocket, holding it out. "We got this one on Lorwyn, just barely escaping Rohkan's clutches to get it. Azrael claimed the one we found on Kamigawa."

"Then the score is 1 to 1, both sides know of the shard in Ravnica, and no one knows where the last one is," Zoira summarized. "So exciting!"

"Which is why I'm going to tail Azrael and see what he's doing. We can't afford to fall behind," Veldor reminded her. "I'll be off. Take care."

The elf giggled. "Of course." Veldor vanished in a flash of blue, white, and purple light as he Planeswalked away, leaving the three others on the arena floor.

"I've never heard him say something kind to someone before," Morrel realized. "'Take care'?"

"Nor have I seen him get all flushed like that," Mizuki added. "Zoira, what was that all about?"

"I really don't know," the elf shrugged. "Well, let's go! Adventure awaits."

"Come here, you big lump. We've got a journey ahead of us," Mizuki teased Morrel, sidling up to him and gripping his right arm. "Here goes."

Both Mizuki and Zoira Planeswalked away, leaving the rain and wind-lashed Starlight's Peak training arena deserted once again.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Tendrils of Corruption, Hindering Light, Etherium Astrolabe, Naturalize, Crystallization**


	20. Chapter 20

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 20**

For a minute, Morrel hoped that he'd be used to the sudden shock of Mizuki's Planeswalking by now, but he gave up that idea when she hauled him to a new world and he regained consciousness. The new world didn't just pop into existence, it _burst _into being: at once, Morrel was underwater.

The Bant battlemage squirmed and thrashed in the cool depths, swimming has hard as he could to reach the sunlit surface above. Mizuki did much the same, but more slowly. Not taking any chances, Morrel took hold of her arm and channeled his body's modest amount of green mana into his muscles, and with that power boost the both of them broke the surface.

"D-damn it!" Mizuki half-choked, spitting water out of her mouth. Her black hair hung in wet tangles. "Why water? I can barely swim!"

"At least the shore is close by," Morrel offered. "Wait... if you can even call that a shore!"

The nearby shoreline was, in fact, the bank of the aqueduct that Morrel and Mizuki floated in, and the duct led to a waterfall that fed a lake-sized reservoir. Enormous, white-stone buildings towered overhead in all directions, shaped like squat towers with bulbous, domed ceilings. Countless pillars, windows, and ornate balconies marked the structures as upper-class establishments. Morrel took a deep breath, shifting his senses from the material world to the world of magic: he could sense a vast abundance of blue mana here, roiling and writhing and flowing in every direction. "Mizuki," he breathed, "I think that this is a water world!"

The Kamigawa Planeswalker swam as best as she could to the aqueduct's edge, trying not to get swept away in the current. "Zoira told me that this Plane is called Ravnica. She didn't say what kind of world it is."

"Speaking of Zoira, we'll have to make our first priority finding her," Morrel suggested, but he didn't waste any further breath as he too swam to the duct's edge and climbed onto the smooth, water-eroded stone. He shivered in a sudden breeze, his clothing and battlemage cloak soaked through. Mizuki, too, shivered and hugged herself as the two of them hurried down the aqueduct and sought shelter. Shelter found them first.

With a sudden bird-like screech and a few flaps of its great wings, a huge, armored griffin descended from the sky and landed heavily before Morrel and Mizuki, pawing the aqueduct's stone with its clawed paws and glaring at them with its intense, forward-facing eyes. A knight clad in blue and silver armor sat on the beast's back and he raised his helmet's visor to speak. "Halt there, vagrants!" he declared, brandishing a pole-like weapon. "By what rights do you intrude on the grounds of the Azorius Guild?"

Mizuki shifted to a sturdy combat posture, feet planted firmly and far apart as her right arm swelled to full size. "By what right do you get in my way, huh?" she challenged, flexing her huge right fingers. The griffin shrieked and reared up at the sight, nearly throwing the knight off.

"Mizuki! Let's not get into trouble so soon!" Morrel hissed, seizing Mizuki's right arm and whispering urgently into her ear.

"I know, but guys like this always chase me out of towns and call me a monster!" Mizuki protested.

"Because you go waving that cursed arm around!"

Mizuki closed her eyes and sighed, relaxing as she shrank her right arm once again. She opened them and addressed the griffin-mounted knight. "I apologize. We did not mean to intrude on anyone's ground. We'll leave as soon as we can."

"Huh! Well, I can tell you're no ordinary citizens," the knight declared. "That right arm could mean trouble. Bodily enchantments like that are illegal to even possess on Azorius territory, much less use! It'll be the Grand Arbiter's court for you, young woman!"

Sensing a lot of trouble up ahead, Morrel intervened. "My friend was cursed in her youth by a foul beast, and she means no harm, nor do I. Please, we request transport out of this territory to neutral ground. Bind us in magic if you wish, but we must be on our way elsewhere. It is urgent."

"Morrel! Are you nuts?" Mizuki whispered urgently in his hear. "What are you doing?"

"Being diplomatic. We can't find Zoira or the Sphere shard with a bunch of angry Azorius warriors or whatever pursuing us."

The knight hesitated, then lowered his pike. "You got yourselves a deal, kids," he relented. "I ain't got the time to drag you to a court anyway, what with that turmoil in the Dalmar District and all. I'll get you to one of the market streets and drop you off. But be warned. Try anything funny and you'll have a long way to fall."

"We mean no harm. Thank you for your kindness," Morrel bowed his head. The knight shifted to the front of his griffin's saddle to make room, and when all three passengers were secure, the beast took flight.

Morrel shivered even harder as the sudden blast of air whipped against his damp clothes, but the air grew warmer as the griffin ascended and he felt a little warmer and drier. That, and the view up here took his breath away! He couldn't help an excited whoop as Ravnica fully came into view, consisting entirely of a vast, bustling cityscape. Towering spires, cathedrals, apartments, court halls, and many other structures made up a stone-and-wood jungle, with countless other flying beasts swooping around, some in orderly formations, others flitting around where they pleased. Underneath them, millions of people and work animals filled the cris-crossing streets, markets, and avenues, their combined footsteps and speech creating an avalanche of noise and commotion.

Mizuki couldn't help but share Morrel's excitement. "This is amazing!" she shouted over the wind. "Just what kind of world is this?"

"The world where you can see and be anything you want!" the knight bellowed over his shoulder. "Ravnica is the land of opportunity and freedom... if you're powerful enough!"

The griffin descended and settled in one of the wider market streets, scaring off the nearby pedestrians as it settled down in a gust of air from its feathery wings. Shaking slightly, Morrel disembarked and landed heavily on the smooth stone street, squinting slightly in the bright sun overhead. Mizuki landed right by him, eyes wide as she took in all the sights.

"Be safe and obey the law," the knight said in farewell, and with one tug of the reins, he guided his griffin back to the skies and vanished from sight.

"Well," Morrel offered brightly, "Where to?"

Mizuki gawked. "You're asking me?"

"What, you Planeswalked us here!"

"Careful! Rohkan or Maretta might be watching!"

"I don't see them around here..."

"Whatever. Let's just go!" Mizuki insisted, taking hold of Morrel's arm and dragging him off with her. They both had to squeeze and slip their way through the thick crowds of merchants, artisans, traders, mages, and oracles of all races, from human to Vedalken to elf to various races Morrel didn't even recognize. He thought he saw a Rhox up ahead with its back turned to him, but when the Rhox turned around it was actually a humanoid elephant, its eyes facing forward and its front paws having five humanoid fingers. It wore robes of green and white and carried a wooden staff shaped like a tree carrying the sun in its branches.

"Just what is that guy?" Morrel muttered with amazement as he and Mizuki passed by the elephant-mage.

Mizuki gave him a playful shove. "This from the guy who had a rhino-man friend? Yerkel?"

With a sputter, Morrel gave the elephant-mage a backwards look. "Yerkel is a Rhox, and a proud monk who is my good friend! That guy was an _elephant_!"

"Your point being?"

"My point... that guy was weird, okay?" Morrel said indignantly, but he faltered before Mizuki's smile.

"I was just screwing with you, okay?" Mizuki laughed, wrapping her arms around Morrel's left arm as they pushed further through Ravnica's streets. Now they passed by vendors selling all sorts of wares, from fruits and vegetables to suits of armor to magic talismans to pets.

A pet vendor, a blue-skinned Vedalken, cupped his hands to his mouth as he advertised, "Get your Simic talking gerbil pets here! Talking gerbil pets, cheap cheap cheap!"

"Who would want a talking pet?" Morrel frowned, beholding the Vedalken's basket of chattering gerbils, some of whom were saying rather obscene things to passing pedestrians. He noticed that the Vedalken of this world had only two arms like humans. _I guess that Rohkan hails from a different world. Why did he have to be the worse kind? _Morrel complained in his head. _Wait, I think Veldor once said that Rohkan comes from a Plane called Mirrodin. I wonder what it's like?_

"Wow, there's so many nice things on sale here!" Mizuki glowed, beholding the jewelry and fine clothing for sale.

"I hope you're not planning to steal any of it," Morrel said warily.

Mizuki smiled again. "I don't have to. You could buy me something nice instead."

"Buy you something?" Morrel repeated vaguely, aware of the gold coins in his pocket. He started to blush when he imagined himself buying Mizuki something nice. _I didn't think she'd want that! She must be joking... I think..._

Overhead flew a brown and white hawk with a scroll of paper held tightly in its talons, no doubt a messenger hawk. Seconds later, Morrel jumped as a large dog started barking crazily at him, chained to a shop's front door. A "Closed" sign prevented anyone from getting inside, but the dog barked at every passing citizen anyway, snarling and baring its fangs. Just a few steps further on, a massive, green-scaled lizard waddled down the street with a saddle on its back and four dark-skinned elves riding it. A powerful stench of rotting plants and dirt emanated from the lizard and its crew, prompting Morrel and Mizuki to circumvent the lizard.

"Well... any promising leads?" Morrel wondered, scratching his head.

Mizuki simply shrugged. "I don't see much yet, not even where this Dalmar District is. I wouldn't mind taking another flight on a griffin to look around, you know."

"Or climb to the top floor of a tower," Morrel added, craning his neck to observe the dizzying heights that some clock towers reached. Nearby, an elf woman in green and white robes preached from a pedestal, surrounded by small, leafy creatures with yellow-green crystals for heads.

"Or we could just explore," Mizuki offered brightly. "This is a fun place. Doesn't hurt to take our time... kind of."

"'Kind of' is right," Morrel laughed. "If we keep Zoira waiting, then – hey!"

He felt a hand gently slide into the right pocket of his trousers and then withdraw again. That pocket held Morrel's gold coins and suddenly, that pocket was much lighter. A child no older than ten scampered off, clad only in ragged clothing and no shoes. The kid shoved his way through the crowded streets, vaulted over an elf's fruit stand, and slipped into a dark alleyway between a tailor shop and an apartment building.

"That kid robbed me! Get him!" Morrel shouted, taking off after the thief. Mizuki stayed close as Morrel weaved through the crowds and sprinted into the same alleyway, wrinkling his nose at the sudden smell of garbage and fungi. Worse, the alleyway split in various directions, almost like a maze, and there was no hint of the thieving child.

"You're a thief too, Mizuki," Morrel panted desperately, stumbling his way through the labyrinthine alleyways. "What would you do?"

"Use my cursed arm to climb the buildings and get to a roof," Mizuki answered breathlessly. "But unless that kid's been to Kamigawa and met a certain Kami..."

Morrel merely frowned as he poked into one alley path after another, finding nothing but trash and a few homeless citizens. Then, a sudden sweet scent wafted through the air and everyone suddenly perked up. Morrel felt his body go a little slack as he dreamily wondered, _Where is that smell coming from? I've got to follow it! _He could smell countless sweet, rich fruits and spices as he and Mizuki wandered through the alleyways as if in a trance, barely noticing where he was going. A wide, long stretch of alley presented itself as Morrel sought the smell's source, trudging down the alley with Mizuki right behind him.

A sudden, loud shriek nearly made Morrel jump out of his skin.

"What the hell is – oooof!" Mizuki cried as something large, green, and smelly dropped down from the rooftops above and wrestled her to the alley floor, dozens of insectoid limbs thrashing through the thick, damp air. The creature shrieked again and scrabbled its claws against the stone floor as it fought against Mizuki's large right arm.

Morrel tensed his body and prepared a spell to help his friend, but another identical creature emerged from a side alley and pounced, propelled by its many legs. Morrel only had a glimpse of a long, eyeless head with a fang-filled mouth before he felt himself being slammed and pinned to the alley wall, his head smashing painfully against the hard wall. The monster opened its salivating jaws even wider to bite Morrel's head off, releasing the same sweet smell from earlier. _This monster used its natural scent to lure us here and we followed it just like that! _Morrel realized, kicking himself for obeying like a prey animal.

Not willing to have his head bitten off in a dark alley, Morrel fed a little green mana into his left fist and sank it into the creature's chest, throwing it back but failing to break any bones. The monster growled and resumed the offensive, slashing its claws every which way. Morrel ducked and tumbled out of harm's way, throwing off the creature's coordination for a few precious seconds. Baring his teeth, he raised his hands and flared up his white mana, conjuring an Oblivion Ring that caught the creature at its midsection, banishing its lower half from existence. The upper half of the centipede-like monster collapsed to the floor, shrieking again and scrabbling its way toward its human prey.

"Raaaaah!" Mizuki conjured a cluster of her black mana tendrils, the combined tentacles impaling her adversary and throwing it against a wall. She shakily got to her feet, covered in cuts and bruises. "Morrel! Watch out!"

"Huh? Damn!" Morrel gritted as his half-monster foe slashed at his legs with its remaining limbs, drawing deep cuts into his legs. He fought not to fall over, blood leaking onto his trousers. Losing his patience, Morrel reached into his cloak and hurled four knives into the monster's head, piercing its thick hide. Clapping his hands together, Morrel fed his small reserve of red mana into his knives and obliterated the beast with a cluster of fiery explosions. The oblivion ring vanished, its host now destroyed.

"Are you okay?" Morrel gasped, turning to the battered Mizuki. His head still throbbed and his leg wounds stung.

The Kamigawa Planeswalker rubbed at her side. "That thing got me good. Never underestimate the element of surprise. It can – aaaaargh!"

For the second time, Mizuki shouted as something seized her from the dark. This time, three brawny humans with diseased-looking skin took hold of her mismatched arms, one of them raising a large, rusty sword to her throat for the kill. The three men chuckled as Mizuki thrashed helplessly, a look of terror spreading across her face. "M-Morrel!"

The Bant battlemage leaped into the fray, his roundhouse kick catching the sword-bearing thug on his head and sending him crashing to the floor. The other two dragged Mizuki back, grunting their anger. Morrel landed on his feet to keep up the assault, but the man he kicked scrambled back up and thrust an open palm into the air. Morrel coughed and his vision blurred as foul black vapors emanated from the man's open fist, washing over Morrel. He fell to his knees, his muscles aching and brain throbbing. _What is that thug doing... to me? Got to... help Mizuki somehow!_

The vapor-conjuring thug howled as Mizuki wrenched her giant right arm free and thrust her index finger at him and fired a beam of concentrated black mana. Only smoking scraps of clothing remained after the beam vaporized the thug, and Mizuki used the distraction to break free of her two captors and prepare for combat. Morrel could barely see through his tear-filled eyes, but another three thugs emerged from the alleyways, reeking or rotting plant matter and fungi, bearing rusty swords.

Morrel was in for another surprise: from the rooftops dropped six or seven new figures, all of them much smaller than the thugs. One of them brandished a pair of giant hooks, using them to slice the thugs and throw them around with astonishing strength. A second figure thrust its palm out and released a powerful shock wave that blew two thugs away and blasted them through a brick wall. The last one produced a staff that crackled with electricity, using it to bash the remaining thugs away and send them scampering off into the gloom.

Still coughing a little, Morrel staggered to his feet. "Th-thank you, whoever you are."

"We'll help _anyone _being mugged by Golgari thugs and their mortipede pets," one of the figures said confidently. The male voice sounded rather young.

"Look at 'em. They're older than us but almost got beat by vermin," a second, larger figure said derisively. "And I thought adults were tough."

"Don't blame them, Ghali," a girl's voice pouted. "They were ambushed! You know how those Golgari operate."

"Fine, Toya, but I still say we should leave 'em. No need to bring them back to the hideout," the one called Ghali responded. Morrel's vision cleared and he realized that his rescuers were... _a bunch of kids?_ he thought.

"Um... children?" Morrel said uncertainly. "This is no place to have a conversation. We should move."

"The adult's got a point," the first voice said politely. "Let's go."

Hardly believing what he was seeing, Morrel followed the kids through the alley and into a new, sunlit avenue, Mizuki right behind him. This street was much less busy, consisting mostly of closed shops.

The tallest kid, a boy with short brown hair and a red vest, put his hands into his pockets and looked up at Morrel. He seemed to be fourteen or so. "Sorry if Ghali was being rude. My name is Charka and I lead this group. Well, there's more of us at the hideout, but we're the fighters and thieves of the group. Who are you?"

"My name is Morrel, and I'm a battlemage," Morrel bowed his head. "I owe you kids one."

"I don't," Mizuki pouted. "I owe nothing!"

"That's Mizuki," Morrel said cheerily, pointing his thumb at her. "We're travelers. I was lured into the alleys by a pickpocket who took some of my money."

The one called Charka shook his head. "Sounds like a desperate urchin to me."

A pudgy kid with black hair and a frayed long-sleeved blue shirt blinked. "Say what? We're all desperate urchins, boss. Why are you acting all superior?"

"Because we're different, Ghali," Charka responded sharply. "Morrel, Mizuki, please don't get the wrong impression. We're not a crime gang. We're just homeless or forgotten kids who band together for safety against the uncaring adults of this city. Not only that, we're trying to raise the money to open an orphanage for others like us."

"Right now we live in a small church the Orzhov Syndicate abandoned," a red-haired girl with two ponytails added. "It's not great, but it's something."

Ghali snorted. "What do these guys care, Toya? They're adults. Look at 'em! If we didn't rescue them, they'd just bully us like all the others."

"It's the duty of the strong to help the weak," Morrel told him, then realized that he said the wrong thing.

"Boss, we should just lose these guys here. We've got better things to do," Ghali appealed to Charka. "Or better, take their money and dump 'em."

"I don't know what to make of them either, but we're _not _going to become the people we fight against," Charka snapped. "Ghali, watch yourself. You may have been abused as a test subject for the Simic, but that doesn't make all adults the same. There's a few good faces in the crowd... and we might be looking at two of them right now. It's worth finding out."

"You can come to our church home with us, if you like," Toya offered brightly. "But only if you don't give away our location, okay?"

Morrel sidled up next to Mizuki. "What do you think? Street urchins know their way around. This could be our chance." He spoke quietly for privacy.

"We've been tricked by helping hands before," Mizuki whispered back. "Remember Olwart and the Kithkin army?"

"Uh... yeah," Morrel said bracingly. "But these are just kids, not a trained army. If we really need to get away, we can manage it. Plus, they might have seen Zoira around. Or maybe Rohkan or Maretta."

"Find, but I hope you're right about this," Mizuki muttered, then turned back to the kids. "Very well. Lead on."

"Just stay close," Charka cautioned them as he led the way toward a more busy street. "It's easier than you think to get separated on Ravnica... and this city shows no mercy to anyone."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Island (Stephan Martiniere), Sky Hussar, Plains (Richard Wright), Loxodon Hierarch, Courier Hawk, Gate Hound, Golgari Brownscale, Selesnya Evangel, Mortipede, Oblivion Ring, Tendrils of Corruption, Golgari Thug, Darkblast**


	21. Chapter 21

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 21**

Without a doubt, the stain-glassed windows in the abandoned Orzhov church would have glowed in a brilliant array of colors in the evening sun if they weren't so dirty. Grime and dust coated them and dulled their colors to a mockery of their former beauty, and the chipped pews, cracked floor, and cobwebbed ceiling of the little church added to the place's sense of desolation. That is, if one thought about it that way.

"This is home," Charka told Morrel and Mizuki happily as he led them and the others through the double doors at the front. Raising his voice, he called out, "Hey! We're back! And we've got guests so behave yourselves!"

From the pews and side-chambers of the church emerged at least a dozen new kids, the oldest of which was about Charka's age and the youngest, barely a toddler. The toddler was carried by a dark-haired girl in a simple brown dress, and the youngster looked delighted at the company.

"Guys, let's show full hospitality to our guests," Charka told the other kids once Ghali closed the doors behind him. "They're not too street-savvy so we can give them a little shelter. No offense, right?" he double-checked with Morrel.

"None taken," the Bant battlemage shook his head.

"Are they bad like the other adults, boss?" a boy around six asked Charka.

"Of course not!" Charka snapped. "They're only a few years older than me and we will welcome them as brother and sister." He glanced at Toya. "How about you warm up a bath for them?"

Toya nodded politely, then pranced through the church's main chamber and vanished around a corner to a smaller room. Charka, meanwhile, arranged everyone in a circle, seated on the floor for a group talk. Morrel slowly lowered himself to the floor and sat, unsure what was expected of him. Mizuki sat next to him, a rather grouchy expression on her face.

"Well then," Charka spoke up. "Everyone, this is Morrel, the guy with glasses, and Mizuki, the girl. They're both travelers, and I must say, not half-bad at fighting."

"Yeah. They're so good, they needed our help against Golgari thugs," Ghali remarked sarcastically, and Morrel glanced at the brash youth. _Why does he dislike us so much? _He wondered.

"Knock it off. Anyone can fall prey to a darkblast spell," Charka bit back. "Sorry, Morrel, Mizuki. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"You did explain earlier that this is a makeshift orphanage," Morrel said slowly, "but I get the feeling that it's more than that."

Charka glanced nervously around. "Well... this church is an orphanage and a refuge. Many of us are escaping the law," he admitted. "Some of us ran away from abusive parents, some lost their parents, and others escaped bondage to cruel guild masters. Like Ghali. He was a subject for the Simic Combine, but he broke free and we took him in."

"I was lured to the Simic by liars," Ghali growled, "and I threw away good life because I trusted strangers! And they made me into their plaything."

"What happened to you?" Morrel inquired.

"Not like it matters to you," Ghali retorted, making Morrel blanch.

"Many of us have had bad experience with guild agents," Charka interjected calmly, "and for that reason, we've taken notice of the guild deadlock centered in the Dalmar District. They're all being lured by some weird object."

Mizuki barely held back a hasty comment, and Morrel had to restrain his tone as he asked with forced calm, "What kind of object is it? Do you know?"

"No." Charka shook his head. "But word on the street is that it's not even from this world! Weird, huh? But I've got a plan."

"Are you going to try and take it once a guild claims it?" Mizuki asked.

"Close," Charka smiled. "We're going to wait until the guilds break their deadlock and start fighting, then slip in and take the object ourselves."

"And we've got a method, too," another kid added. "The Izzet League has come out with a new line of gravtronic craft that can move at high speeds and have durable hulls. If we can get one, we can fly through the turmoil and take the object. It's risky, but worth it. It's time we strike back against the guilds!"

The other kids voiced their agreement and Morrel gawked. _These kids are reckless! Fly a craft into a battle to take the Sphere of Ages shard... they have no idea what they're dealing with, and neither do these guilds here. I wonder if the Sphere shards emanate a possessive aura that lure people towards them? _Trying to hide all these thoughts from his tone, Morrel added, "I bet you have a plan to get such a craft? It sounds expensive."

"Our chance is close," Charka explained. "You see, tomorrow is the Festival of the Guildpact, and the day after that will be the annual Colosseum Championship, a tournament for fighters. The prize money will more than cover the gravtronic craft's cost!"

_These kids, risk their lives like that? _Morrel thought, aghast. "Hey, listen. I can handle that for you, to repay you saving my life in that alley and for taking me in here. I can take a challenge any day."

"You sure?" Charka asked tightly. "You seem to want that weird object a lot too..."

"I think that the object should be hidden away or destroyed, the better to remove temptation on everyone's part," Morrel invented hastily. "You know, to encourage everyone to make their fortune with their own power."

Mizuki made a that-was-so-corny expression, but a murmur among the children caused Charka to stand up. "Morrel, I accept your offer, and I am humbled by your courage and selflessness. Ravnica would be a better place if there were more folks like you."

"Yeah, and this sounds fun. I'll enter too, to increase our chances," Mizuki added, standing up as well. "Don't count me out."

"Welcome aboard, then," Charka bowed his head. "By the way, the bath should be ready now. Do you want to go first?"

Mizuki sidled up to Morrel. "Wouldn't you rather go first? I bet you've been spoiled by daily baths back home."

_I wasn't spoiled back home on Bant! _Morrel grumbled, but he smiled anyway. "No, you can go first. To be honest, your hair really needs a washing. It's dirtier and more tangled than ever."

Running her hands through her dark locks with difficulty, Mizuki had to agree. "I guess. See you later, then."

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel didn't inquire too much about the Festival and tournament, the better to not reveal himself as an extra-Planar visitor ignorant of Ravnica's ways. Rather, while Mizuki bathed Morrel got to know the other kids and tried to think of how and when Rohkan and Maretta would interfere with his plans and try to steal the Sphere shard. There was no guarantee that both or even either of them were on this Plane right now, but Morrel had to assume the worst. He sat alone on a pew to think all this over, but such heavy thoughts were chased off as Mizuki came back from her bath.

"Guess what?" she greeted Morrel happily, wandering over to him and sitting on the chipped pew next to him. "The bath is heated by an eternal flame! The kids stole it from a guild thug a while back. And the soap is made from ogre fat but smells really nice and works wonders. Just look." She smiled as she tilted her head slightly, lightly running her fingers through her hair. Curious, Morrel reached over and slid his fingers through her hair too, amazed by how soft and smooth it suddenly was.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so clean," he commented, hoping not to sound rude. He inhaled and tried not to blush. "Not to be forward, but you smell kind of pretty, too."

Mizuki tried not to blush and squirmed in her seat. "Do you mean that? You think I'm pretty?"

"Well, now that you've bathed and all..." Morrel swallowed, suddenly at a loss for words as his face warmed. "I mean, uh..."

"Come on, can't you tell me what you think of me?" Mizuki urged him, flexing her toes.

Morrel frowned slightly. "I've always been under the impression that you don't really care what I think about anything."

"Oh, come on, that's not true," Mizuki said gently, leaning against Morrel and sharing her sweet scent with him. "I can listen. What are you thinking?"

His heart hammering, Morrel stuttered, "W-well, I _do _like seeing your gentler side, when you're not angry or stealing or anything. It's nice seeing you like this."

"Do go on."

"It's like... it's like everything's normal, without your curse or Sphere shards or hostile Planeswalkers to think about. Just you and me," Morrel realized out loud. "Sometimes I wish we had more time like this. You know?"

Mizuki rested her head on Morrel's shoulder. "Mmmmmmm... you make a good point. There's always that Festival of the Guildpact thingy coming up. Maybe that can be our normal time together!"

"Are you sure?" Morrel asked. "We still have to find Zoira and get ready for that championship and everything..."

"Hush. You worry too much," Mizuki yawned. "We'll cram that business into our day of fun. And that's that."

Morrel decided to humor Mizuki... and he _did _ relish the thought of spending free time with her. "Yeah, okay. I promise, we'll have fun."

"That's more like it," Mizuki mumbled. "I'm kind of tired. Can I sleep next to you?"

"Sorry, but I'm not a pillow," Morrel joked. _I'm a little too shy for that yet! Even though I'm kind of tired, too. _He got up and backed up a little. "But you can have that pew to yourself."

"Mmmmmmm..." was Mizuki's response as she lay herself down across the pew, and she did not say another word for the night.

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel was prepared for endless crowds, loud music, and wild dancing for the festival, but not for the veritable explosion of excitement and activity that awaited him.

"Is it always like this?" he roared over the crowd's cheering and singing, slowly working his way through the ocean of people in a wide street.

"No, it's often even wilder than this!" Charka bellowed back. "This is the busiest part of the Festival. If you want, we can move to a quieter spot!"

"Let's do that!" Morrel shouted, and he, Mizuki, Charka, and Toya pushed their way past dancers, mosh pits, entertainers, and everyone else to reach one of the side streets. Morrel breathed a sigh of relief as the crowds thinned out somewhat and the music no longer rattled his eardrums as much. Here, confetti and fireworks were hurled from balconies of the buildings and a parade of festive entertainers riding large beasts plodded down the street's middle. He couldn't help a quick smile; the fun was contagious!

"I might start to enjoy this," Mizuki added with a sly smile of her own. "I usually don't do crowds, but..."

"But we have to sign up for that Championship and find Zoira!" Morrel reminded her. _This is actually rather stressful..._

Mizuki pouted. "Fine, ruin everything. I thought we were going to have a good time, Morrel!"

Morrel winced. "Well, um... okay, tell you what. I'll look for Zoira and you can go find a few fun things for us to do. How's that?"

Aware that Charka and Toya were nearby, Mizuki looked around and muttered in Morrel's ear, "Okay, but first, I want to look my best. I'll be back soon."

"What, is Toya going to lend you some clothes?" Morrel muttered back in Mizuki's ear.

The Kamigawa Planeswalker smiled and waved a finger. "Patience! I'll show you what I mean. I'll just find a secluded spot and go on a quick trip. Don't get into any trouble in the meantime!"

"That's what I should be telling _you_," Morrel groaned, but all the same, Mizuki wandered off, no doubt planning to Planeswalk somewhere.

As soon as Mizuki vanished, Charka wandered off and Toya joined Morrel, sticking close as the both of them explored the Festival. "She's really nice, isn't she?"

Morrel jumped. "Who, Mizuki? Yeah, she's really something..."

"Is she your sister?"

"What? No! We look nothing alike..."

"I was only kidding." Toya wrapped her arm around Morrel's as they passed a cluster of jugglers. "But really, I can't help but wonder where you and she come from, and what brought you both together."

_How much can I afford to tell her? I'll just be generic. _"Well... Mizuki and I are travelers who met and saved each other during a brawl, and we decided to watch each other's backs ever since. She's an orphan, you see, so I thought I'd be there for her."

"Oh, that's so nice of you!" Toya glowed. "Is there anywhere you're going with her?"

"No, the road decides where we go," Morrel offered, which was partly the truth: he had no idea where he'd go next on the hunt for Sphere of Ages shards. "Though that does make it more fun."

"I wish _I _could freely roam the world, but it's too dangerous," Toya lamented. "Ravnica is no place for lost children."

"And thus, the orphanage church," Morrel supported her. "You kids are doing the right thing, making that shelter. I'm humbled by your commitment and endurance against a tough world like this one."

Toya started to blush. "Th-thanks. But, um..."

"Yes?" An elephant draped in colorful bead strings and fabrics wandered by, gushing wine from its trunk.

"Do you love Mizuki?"

Morrel tried not to curse as he tripped in shock at Toya's question and sprawled across the stone street, alarming a few nearby party-goers. He quickly apologized to them as he staggered to his feet and slipped his glasses back into place. "I, um... that's a pretty personal question..."

"I'm sorry." Toya looked down. "It's just that so many people die without ever realizing their hopes or ambitions, and not enough good things seem to happen around here."

"Hey. Happiness is wherever you choose to find it," Morrel offered brightly, resuming his walking. "Be it a bright sunrise, a kind shopkeeper's discount, finding a family of birds on your roof... anything at all can have a scrap of happiness." _Another Rhox philosophy that Yerkel taught me. I never thought that stuff would be so handy!_

Toya brightened. "I guess you're right." She smiled mischievously. "But that does leave my question..."

"We're just friends!" Morrel told her quickly.

"Sure you are," Toya giggled.

"Morrel! _There _you are!" a familiar voice called out, and Morrel's stomach jumped as an elf lady with survival gear on her belt waded through the crowds, her expression radiant. "And you have a new girlfriend, I see. What's her name?"

_What's with everybody today? _Morrel grouched. "N-no, Zoira, this is a local. Toya, this is Zoira, a friend of mine. I had hoped to meet her at the Festival today, and here she is!"

"A pleasure," Zoira smiled at Toya, then turned to Morrel, fiddling with one of her braided ponytails. "But where is Mizuki? Did she get lost?"

"No, she'll be back soon," Morrel answered with a wink. Catching on, Zoira nodded and said, "I see. Toya, dear, Morrel and I need a little time alone, okay?"

"Okay. Catch you later, Morrel!" Toya waved as she wandered off into the crowd.

Morrel and Zoira wandered over to an empty alley and, once they were sure there were eavesdroppers around, Morrel spoke up. "We've got a solid lead, Zoira. There's a battle tournament taking place in a nearby Colosseum with a huge cash reward for the winner. Mizuki and I will enter on behalf of a group of kids we met and use the prize money to buy some flying vehicle the kids mentioned, then fly into the Dalmar District with it and steal the Sphere shard from the warring guilds. If we're not affiliated with a guild, the guild forces probably won't pay any attention to us until it's too late." He took a deep breath after his quick recital of the plan.

Zoira smiled again and clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! I found a few secret passageways into the District myself, but I like the sound of flying. Though we can count on attracting a certain kind of attention while we do that."

Morrel nodded. "Rohkan and Maretta. Have you been able to track them?"

The Zendikar elf shook her head. "I can confirm that Rohkan is here, but I only saw him a few days ago and not since. Maretta is a total mystery, so we had better keep our guard up."

"Mizuki and I will do all we can," Morrel promised. "We'll sign up for that tournament and get the job done."

"I like the sound of that," Zoira agreed. She looked around. "Hmmmmm. Mizuki had better come back soon. We need her."

"Well, her Planeswalker Spark is somewhat corrupted by her Kami curse," Morrel explained as he and Zoira re-entered the main street and all its festivities. "She can barely control her Planeswalking. It's erratic and clumsy, as far as I'm told, but it works."

"But you never see the Blind Eternities while she takes you from Plane to Plane?"

Morrel shook his head. "No, I fall unconscious during the process. I'm lucky that Mizuki can do this at all. According to her, she's probably the only Planeswalker who can carry a passenger with her. Turns out her Kami curse is good for something after all! Though if she didn't have it, we probably wouldn't have ever met in the first place..."

Zoira laughed lightly, giving Morrel a light punch on the shoulder. "You think too much, kid! Relax."

"I... guess," Morrel replied sheepishly.

"Hey! Morrel! Zoira!" came a familiar voice ten minutes later. Morrel saw Mizuki wade through the crowd to join him, but something was different: instead of her usual rolled-up pants and sleeveless shirt, she was clad in a vivid green robe with voluminous sleeves and a pink belt. Mizuki led Morrel and Zoira over to a less-crowded patch of the street and she stood proudly. "I'm back. What do you think, huh?"

"I have to... do things elsewhere," Zoira smiled mysteriously, vanishing into the crowds at once. Meanwhile, Morrel couldn't help but gawk in amazement: Mizuki's robes appeared to be made of a fine fabric that had no creases or frayed ends on its threads, and it had a smooth, shiny appearance that suggested a high-quality material. Not only that, but patterns of colorful fish leaping out of water adorned the robe from top to bottom, and the tall, pink fabric belt circled around the waist rather than the hips. On top of that, Mizuki had bound her hair into a simple but elegant bun. Her expression was radiant as she waited for Morrel's answer.

"Wow... you look beautiful!" Morrel blurted, then flinched and went red.

Mizuki hid a giggle behind her hand. "Well, _there's _some good old honesty! Thank you, Morrel."

"Where did you get that robe? I don't recognize its design at all..." Morrel wondered. _Even the ladies of the Akrasa court back home on Bant didn't have dresses like this._

Turning around in a full circle to show off the whole robe, Mizuki explained, "This is a kimono, a dress robe from my home Plane, Kamigawa. The material is silk, the best and fanciest kind a piece of clothing can be made with. In case you don't know, silk is spun by certain worms and spiders. Sounds gross, I know, but look at the end result!"

"It's like nothing I've ever seen," Morrel smiled. "And you're wearing footwear too?" He noticed that Mizuki wore white socks and thick-soled sandals rather than going barefoot.

"Oh, I thought I'd go all out," Mizuki commented. "You know? I like trying new things, after all, and I've always seen fancy ladies of Kamigawa wear kimonos but I was too poor for one as a child. So here I am!"

_Wait a minute... _Morrel realized. "Mizuki, how could you afford this kimono? We don't have much money. Unless you rented it?"

"I didn't have to rent it," Mizuki defended herself. "Don't worry about it."

"Hey... don't tell me you _stole _it?" Morrel accused her.

Mizuki shrugged. "What? The clothing store's back door was unlocked. I just snuck into the store room and found this. Green is my favorite color, too."

"I thought you were past this!" Morrel raised his voice a little. "Mizuki, we're not criminals! Didn't you tell me that you'd stop stealing? I can't believe this!"

"Hey! Don't scold me!" Mizuki bristled. "I made no such promise, and besides, I will make sure to return this robe once the festival is over, so no harm done." She looked down. "Don't yell at me. I just wanted to impress you. I wanted a chance to look pretty for once!"

Taking a deep breath, Morrel calmed himself down and kicked himself on the inside. _I don't have to be so hard on her! I guess I overreacted. _"Sorry, Mizuki. I suppose I'm still stuck in my honorable ways, huh?" he said gently.

"Kind of," Mizuki said warily.

Morrel positioned himself by Mizuki and took her hand. "I'm sorry if I ruined the moment for you." He brightened. "And yeah, that's a good start, promising to return the robe. Don't worry, I think this kimono looks really good on you! I'm flattered that you wanted to impress me."

"I couldn't resist," Mizuki smiled back as the two of them set off into the festival again to find something fun to do. "I feel like a noble lady in this thing! But you're still a lowly peasant, little Battlemage!"

"That's not true. Being a battlemage is prestigious. I have a Sigil to boot," Morrel said lightly. "Oh, and I've got to know... how come you're always teasing me? I don't get it."

"You're so thick." Mizuki's tone was playful. "I've mentioned this before: I'm curious about you. You're totally different than me, and it's, well, exciting to travel everywhere with you and it's fun to see how you react to me. You're like my big lovable toy!"

Morrel couldn't help a laugh. "So I'm your favorite stuffed animal now? I'm honored. Well, what's your verdict, then? How fun am I to have around?"

Mizuki squeezed Morrel's hand as she tried not to blush. "Very fun. Even if you're strict and stubborn, you're reliable and strong, and honestly, very sweet at times."

With his heart suddenly hammering, Morrel furiously debated with himself whether or not to keep up Mizuki's topic. He fought for words for a second, then decided to go all in. "Well, that's very kind of you! But you know, I was kind of thinking the same thing about you. With or without that kimono robe, you're quite the charming lass."

"Oh, don't," Mizuki stifled another giggle.

"Hey, I mean it," Morrel insisted warmly. "Even if you're wild and headstrong, I believe you have a gentle side that's very much worth pursuing. You've been playing hard to get, but believe me..." he leaned closer to her ear. "I'll do what I must to catch you!"

"You're funny," Mizuki blushed harder, half-heartedly trying to push her friend away.

Morrel whispered into her ear, "Oh, it's no joke. Do you want to see how serious I am about it?"

"Uh, what?"

Stopping in place, Morrel still held Mizuki's hand while he gently lifted her chin with his other hand's fingers, looking into her rich brown eyes. He started to bring his lips toward hers, and he could tell that Mizuki was not afraid, but welcoming. She lowered her eyelids and parted her lips, but Morrel suddenly drew back, clearing his throat. "I-I, uh, don't want to be forward and take advantage of you in the heat of the moment. I shouldn't have..." _I'm not sure if either of us is ready for this. Best to take it slow for now._

"Well, if you say so," Mizuki figured, folding her arms in her usual pout. Then she brightened. "But there's still the festival, and Sora needs to stretch his legs." She produced her gold vessel and conjured her child-like homunculus, who looked up at his master and blinked his dark eyes.

"Mommy summoned me?"

"Oh, yes I did," Mizuki nodded, once again wading into the crowd. "Follow me. Let's have a little adventure!"

"If Mommy wants it," Sora complied obediently, walking briskly after her.

_What is he, her pet? _Morrel wondered. Still, he jogged to keep up with his companions and avoid losing them in the crowd.

*o*o*o*o*

Hardly making a sound, Maretta dropped down from a tall stone wall and landed in the Colosseum's courtyard, her target coming into range at last. The top level of the Colosseum had a huge patio outside the structure's offices, and this was where the Colosseum's managers relaxed after a hard day at work. The endless apartment towers, churches, and banks of Ravnica sprawled in every direction, but none of the city's hustle and bustle mattered right now: Maretta had one thing in mind.

A bald man in deep blue clothing wandered briskly though the patio's gardens, whistling idly to himself after a hard day of organizing for tomorrow's tournament. So distracted was he that he didn't notice the lithe, whip-wielding woman landing behind him from the stone wall's top. Maretta smiled to herself as she took her whip handle off her belt and flooded it with rich blue and white mana, bringing the mana cord to life with a loud, bubbly hiss.

"Who goes there?" the man yelped, whirling around. He staggered back, clutching at his heart in terror as he beheld Maretta. "A-are you going to kill me?"

"Me? No! I don't harm you, dearie," Maretta taunted him, lashing her whip against the garden path. Sparks sizzled where the mana whip struck the stone pathway. "But I do want to take control of you. How does that sound?"

"G... get away from me!" the man cried, haphazardly turning around and scampering off. Bunching up her leg muscles, Maretta pounced after him and flicked her wrist, sending the mana whip slashing through the air. The whip's tip pierced the man's neck and deposited a small sphere of blue-white mana that sank into his skin and settled inside his spinal cord. The man's muscles went slack and he fell clumsily to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

"That's a new trick I've learned," Maretta gloated as she landed from her pounce on her hands and knees like a cat. She stood upright, whip in hand. "I can't control your body without my whip touching you, but your mind is a different matter! My spies tell me that a boy and girl named Morrel and Mizuki will be entering your tournament. Make sure that they die."

The man wheezed as he got back to his feet, a blank expression on his face. "Y-yes... mistress."

"Great!" Maretta beamed. "Now I've got to tell Rohkan... wherever he even went." And with that, she whistled loudly and a tattered drake swooped into the area. Mounting the drake, Maretta deactivated her whip and took off into Ravnica's endless metropolis.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Festival of the Guildpact, Courier's Capsule, Homunculus (creature token), Tattered Drake**


	22. Chapter 22

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 22**

"So, a punk like you thinks he can compete?"

Not for the first time, Morrel merely stood there as a fellow warrior shoved him around in one of the contestant waiting areas deep in the Colosseum's massive stone structure, and he was starting to get tired of it. This particular brawler probably outweighed Morrel by a hundred pounds, and his crude iron armor and fierce tattoos made Morrel rather glad that he knew defensive magic. The many other tournament contestants in the room paid little mind to the brewing argument as they waited for their turn to fight.

"Unless you fight me in the arena, it doesn't matter to you what I think, right?" Morrel reasoned with him, feeling rather small. "Simple."

The man threw back his head and laughed, inciting a few chuckles from other nearby warriors. "Nice excuse, but trust me, you'd better quit, shrimp." He shoved Morrel's shoulder. "Glasses? Get them knocked off and you can't even _see_. That leather vest you're wearing under your cloak? It won't protect you from something like this." From his trousers he produced a rather spiky pair of brass knuckles.

"If you can hit me, that is," Morrel responded, unable to help a slight grin. "Have fun punching the air."

"Little punk!" the warrior growled, taking a heavy step forward and tensing his muscles. A thick hand clapped his shoulder and a bare-chested, towering man with thick black braids of hair said simply, "Easy, pal. Save it for the crowds."

The first warrior shrugged him off and bared his teeth. "Yeah, whatever. But I'll watch out for this kid here. You here me, four-eyes? I see you again, you're dead!"

Both warriors lumbered off and Morrel sighed through his nose, scratching his head. _All these places are so different from home._

A gong rang and a Colosseum official descended a flight of stone steps, announcing, "The next elimination round will now begin! Contestants Gorgak and Morrel, report to the arena! There, you will meet the other two contestants for this round."

The braided warrior, Gorgak, chuckled as Morrel started on his way to the stairs. "Looks like we're pitted against each other after all, kid! Good luck... hahaha!"

Morrel glared at Gorgak but said nothing as he ascended the stairs. Since there was more than one contestant waiting room, he couldn't yet see the other fighters until everyone assembled in the arena. Once he reached the arena's dusty floor, he suddenly felt rather faint at heart.

The circular arena appeared to be no more than a hundred feet in diameter, but the grandstands rose away from the arena floor and towered far overhead, seating a chattering, cheering, waving crowd of countless Ravnica citizens eager to watch the bloodletting. As Morrel took up his position at his designated starting spot, he couldn't help a chill as the roaring of the crowd seemed to overwhelm his senses and the other three warriors stalked over to their posts, glancing at Morrel with contempt. Aside from Gorgak there was a fair-skinned man clad in heavy silver armor and a helmet, a long sword in his right hand. The symbol of a fist and sun was painted on a spiny shield held in his left hand.

The last fighter alarmed Morrel for a second: a tall Vedalken with sky-blue skin who stood calmly, his two arms folded across his chest. He wore a leather cuirass and trousers, and fingerless gloves protected his hands. He looked over at Morrel and a sly smile started to cross his face. _Is this whole Plane united against me? _Morrel wondered, his guts squirming.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the eighth elimination round is about to begin!" an announcer boomed, his voice amplified with a simple spell. "Only one of these valiant fighters will advance to the single-elimination rounds. Contestants, on my mark... go!"

At once, all four contestants darted forward and Gorgak made the first move. With a bellow he crouched and slammed his meaty fist onto the floor and shattered it, chunks of rock erupting from the earth. He seized the biggest one in just one hand and kicked aside the armored warrior, sending the armored man sprawling to the dusty floor. Huffing in contempt, Gorgak turned to Morrel with a fierce grin. "You're going down first, kid!"

With that he hurled the rock, the chunk of earth shooting out of his fist like a loosed arrow. Yelping, Morrel tumbled to the side across the hard floor as the rock chunk smashed into the ground, shattering the rock. Sharp chunks of stone peppered Morrel and stung his skin, and Gorgak wasn't done yet. He scooped up random rocks and hurled them one at a time at Morrel, keeping the Bant battlemage on the defensive.

"Heeeyah!" shouted the Vedalken, who filled the air with rapid punches right at Morrel. Morrel ducked and backed up to avoid getting pummeled, but another rock from Gorgak sharply struck his temple, throwing off his concentration. Taking his chance, the Vedalken slammed his left fist against Morrel's jaw, sending him stumbling back with a throbbing head.

More fists hammered Morrel's chest as the Vedalken got back within punching range, and Morrel winced as a particularly hard blow to the stomach knocked the wind out of him. Gorgak leaped to the fray and swung his giant fist down, so Morrel slipped away and to one of Gorgak's blind spots.

"Too slow, big guy!" Morrel taunted, whipping out one of his throwing knives. Gorgak howled as the blade sank into his haunch, causing bright red blood to leak out of the wound. Morrel quickly darted to Gorgak's front side and rammed his fist into the bigger man's gut, channeling his modest green mana reserve into his arm. The bigger man wheezed in shock as the blow knocked him back, but the Vedalken's foot swished through the air and nearly took Morrel's head off.

Ducking the kick just in time, Morrel seized the Vedalken's foot and shifted the blue man's momentum, throwing him into Gorgak. Both men stumbled clumsily against each other, leaving them completely open. Morrel backed up and hurled two knives at them, channeling his small reserve of red mana into them. Twin fireballs engulfed both of his enemies, sending Gorgak collapsing in a charred heap and the Vedalken sprawling next to him.

"Not bad, mage-warrior!" the armored man declared from behind, drawing his sword with a metallic rasp.

Morrel cursed. _I forgot about him! Was he waiting until the rest of us tore each other apart? _Either the way, the armored soldier jabbed his silver blade at Morrel, forcing the battlemage to slip to the side, clenching his fists in defiance. However, the soldier slashed his sword at Morrel's head, then redirected his blade to Morrel's midsection. Repeatedly, he shifted the area of his attack and filled the air with his sword, and Morrel's muscles started to ache from the effort of dodging it. _This guy's too fast! Any more of this and I'll be in little pieces!_

The blade grazed Morrel's shoulder and he winced as the sharp edge drew blood. Making a cry of triumph, the soldier lashed his blade out again and scored a glancing blow against Morrel's thigh, at once causing blood to seep into Morrel's light-colored trousers. Wincing from his bruises and cuts, Morrel narrowly evaded another jab and brought himself before the man's shield side, throwing a quick punch. The soldier brought up his shield and let the metal plate take the blow, but then Morrel grinned at his success. _Just kidding! _An elaborate ring of white mana flared to life at Morrel's fist, taking the shield and the man's arm out of existence.

The soldier stumbled back and howled in horror at his bare shoulder, his fierce sword tactics forgotten. _I just needed to take his attention for a split second! _Morrel thought giddily. Eager to pay the soldier back, his booted foot came up and pounded into the soldier's armored chest, nearly knocking him to the dusty floor. An elbow to the face sent the soldier down, his nose broken and leaking blood. Morrel punted the sword away, then kicked the soldier's armored temple. Even the metal protection didn't prevent the soldier from getting knocked out from the blow. The Oblivion Ring vanished, restoring the limp soldier's arm and shield.

A shadow loomed over Morrel, and he jumped as a livid Gorgak towered over him, rocks held tight in his fists. The giant man lashed out with his rocks, using them as crude blunt weapons intended to smash in Morrel's skull. Morrel evaded the blows easily enough due to Gorgak's slow attack speed, but his counter-attacks did little more than anger Gorgak. The giant man sneered at Morrel's weaker blows and started to swing even faster, and Morrel shouted as one rock-laden fist connected with his head and knocked him over, his head ringing and throbbing with sudden pain.

"You're open," gloated the Vedalken, who slipped onto the scene and snapped out his hand to strike a vital spot on Gorgak's thick neck. Gorgak coughed and grunted in pain from the sharp blow, and Morrel leaped back to his feet, his aching head spurring him to retribution. His heavy kick to Gorgak's now-sensitive neck sent the braided warrior collapsing onto his back, and for good measure, Morrel stomped on his neck. Gorgak gurgled and went limp, his eyes closing.

"Not too bad, son," the Vedalken leered, tightening his fists. "But I'm not a dumb brute like him. You helped me get the biggest threat out of the way, and now I can finish you off."

Breathing too hard to reply, Morrel backed up and raised his fists to a ready position, wishing he had time to bandage his bleeding leg and arm. _I get the feeling that I haven't seen all that this Vedalken can do!_

The leather-armored Vedalken took one deep breath and pushed off the ground, swinging his fist in a wide arc at Morrel's head. Morrel raised his arm to block the blow and then he threw his own punch at the blue man's face. The Vedalken prepared to dodge the blow, but Morrel drew back his fist and jabbed it at the Vedalken's gut instead, hoping to cripple his opponent with one hit. Morrel could almost read the Vedalken's mind as the blue man saw the blow incoming: _It was a feint!_

Morrel felt his arm stopped by the Vedalken seizing his sneaky blow, and then he felt shock as the grinning Vedalken held Morrel in place and began to split. A second, identical body started to grow off of the Vedalken's back, complete with a new set of clothing and armor. Blue-green slime oozed from the point of replication, but the new Vedalken, once he was free of the original, wiped away the slime and launched himself at his human adversary.

"That's fighting dirty!" Morrel complained, but he knew that in a battle like this, everything was fair. He ducked his head to avoid the second Vedalken's fist, then seized the original Vedalken's arm and heaved him at his clone. Both Vedalken stumbled against each other, then regained their composure and charged headlong, fists flying everywhere. Morrel frowned as he blocked, countered, and dodged blow after blow, his limbs growing heavier and sweatier with each exchange. _I've got to end this quick!_

Morrel parried a blow from one Vedalken and kicked him away, but the other one swept Morrel's leg out from under him and sent him sprawling with a bone-shuddering kick. Morrel harnessed his momentum to get back up quickly, but by the time he was up, he now faced _four _identical Vedalken brawlers, two of whom were still wiping off their replication ooze. All four Vedalken now spread out, trapping Morrel in a deadly square. As one, they shouted and charged, fists raised high for the kill. Fighting down a thrill of panic, Morrel crouched as the four Vedalken closed in, accessing his blue and white mana. The crowd oohed as a dome of blue-gold mana flared to life around Morrel, and the four Vedalken cried out in surprise as they bounced off its hard surface and fell back, smarting from the collision.

"Oh, this is getting fun, kid!" one Vedalken commented, cracking his knuckles.

"Let's see how long you can keep up!" a second chimed in.

"GET HIM!" a third declared, and the four of them resumed the attack, their veins throbbing a dark green and their muscles suddenly bulging. They hammered repeatedly on Morrel's Hindering Light, the enchanted barrier flashing and creaking with each heavy blow. Morrel crouched inside his collapsing shield, his mind racing.

_This guy can not only replicate himself, but use green mana for strength like I can! _He realized. With one more round of fists, the Hindering Light popped and vanished, and the four Vedalken surrounded Morrel with kicks and punches. Morrel spun this way and that, blocking a fist here, parrying a kick there, dodging a headbutt there. He let one Vedalken's fist shoot past his head, then he wrenched the blue man's arm the wrong way and threw the howling Vedalken into another, sending them both crashing to the arena floor in a confused heap. He turned around and blocked another fist, jabbing the Vedalken's chin with his open palm. Morrel winced as the fourth Vedalken landed a hefty blow to the stomach, and the first two Vedalken got back up and grabbed Morrel's arms, holding him in place.

"I'm going to enjoy this," one Vedalken smiled nastily, sinking a steady series of blows onto Morrel's head, then his chest, then his stomach and back up again while the fourth Vedalken hung back to watch. The crowd cried "oh!" with every hit, and Morrel's breathing became ragged and constricted as his face swelled from the bruising, his skin breaking in a few places and his whole body going numb. Finally, the Vedalken took a step back and drew back his fist for one more strike. "Have anything to say for yourself, weakling?" he taunted. His muscles bulged with green mana.

Morrel coughed a few droplets of blood. "Y-yeah. The heel of a boot is pretty hard and sharp, even if it's only made of leather."

The Vedalken's face crumpled, his fist hesitating slightly. "So what?"

"So... _this _should be pretty effective!" Morrel wheezed, and one of his Vedalken captors shrieked as Morrel's heel struck the Vedalken's shinbone and cracked it. The Vedalken's grip loosened, and Morrel slipped his right arm free and whacked the other Vedalken captor with his right fist. The second Vedalken flinched and released Morrel's left arm, and now the Bant battlemage leaped back and hurled a quartet of his throwing knives at the Vedalken, scoring blows in their necks with the deadly blades. They gurgled and collapsed on the spot, and then three of them converted back into ooze and vaporized, leaving only one left: the original. Morrel wrenched his knife free of the lone Vedalken's throat and collected his other three from the oozed puddles and another from Gorgak's limp body. The Vedalken breathed his last, and Morrel stood alone in the Colosseum.

"And there we have it! The underdog fights his way to the top! Morrel advances to the next round!" the announcer's mana-enhanced voice boomed, and the crowd went wild as Morrel trembled, then fell to his hands and knees. His vision blurred and his stomach writhed nastily. With each breath, his ribs ached and burned.

_This is nuts! That flying vehicle Charka wants had better be darned good. _He looked over at the fallen Vedalken. _If that guy could do so much to me, imagine what Rohkan would do if I had to fight him one-on-one! Thank the angels that I have friends along for the ride._

*o*o*o*o*

According to the healer lady in white robes in the Colosseum infirmary, Morrel's swelling and bruises were now soothed and Mizuki wouldn't have a reason to laugh at him anymore. She ran her hands over Morrel's body, gentle white mana glowing on her outstretched hands.

"So, what brings a nice boy like you to this blood pit?" she asked.

"I, uh... I seek glory and prestige to impress my peers with. I won't let them down," Morrel invented.

The healer kept her cure magic running, but her face became somber as well as her tone. "The guilds each believe its way is right, but their ways only bring blood to Ravnica's streets and tears to Ravnica's families." She shook her head in dismay.

_Actually, Mizuki and I will save a whole lot of lives if we can keep Azrael from reassembling and using his Sphere of Ages, _Morrel thought, but he couldn't say that. Instead, he lay still and wondered if Mizuki's round had started yet.

*o*o*o*o*

"Your survival is not guaranteed, young human," taunted a centaur warrior as he and the other competitors trotted into the arena for the ninth round. Mizuki merely scowled.

"If you knew what I could do, you'd say that _your _survival prospects are grim," she shot back, clawing her right hand's fingers. "Watch yourself, horsey."

The centaur's tail swished and his eyes flashed. "How dare you!" He tightened his grip on his bladed staff and he shifted angrily in his green and silver armor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the ninth elimination round is about to begin!" boomed a magically-enhanced voice. "Contestants, please take your places!"

_That's my cue, _Mizuki thought, wandering over to her designated spot near the circular arena's wall. She was easily the smallest contestant here, and her lack of armor or weapons justified the mocking glares that the other three contestants gave her. The centaur, probably a representative of the nature-loving Selesnya guild, looked tough but the other two contestants put even him to shame. Standing three dozen feet away from the centaur was an unusually tall goblin with light blue skin and wore goggles on his face. Strapped to his back was a metal contraption with two large tanks of dark red liquid, and strapped onto each of the goblin's forearms was a pair of thin metal tubes, and each tube had a nozzle and was connected to the larger contraption by flexible tubes.

Lastly, a tan-skinned ogre stood over in his designated spot, and he held twin disk-like objects in his hands that sported several wide, flat blades each. The ogre wore no armor except for forearm plating and metal casing for his thighs. His wide, black loincloth had a metal skull plate on the front of the belt.

"Only one of these valiant fighters will advance to the single-elimination rounds," the announcer continued once everyone was in place. The crowd's chattering lowered at once in anticipation for the round. "Contestants, on my mark... go!"

Mizuki leaped into action at once, giving a shout as she stretched out her right arm and fully manifested her vile Kami curse. The crowd oohed at the sudden change, and the other warriors flinched at the bizarre sight. _This is going to be fun! _Mizuki smiled fiercely as she landed right on top of the goblin, shoving him to the arena floor and swinging her cursed arm down for the kill. The goblin's eyes widened in terror under his goggles, but his expression changed to relief as the ogre charged onto the scene and thrust his blades hand-weapons at Mizuki's back.

Noticing the ambush just in time, Mizuki backed away and let the ogre's blades jab through empty air. She lashed out her talons to take the ogre's arm off, but the beast blocked with one of his weapons, talon and steel clashing loudly against each other. Roaring, the ogre wrenched Mizuki's arm away and stabbed his blade into Mizuki's wrist, his blade piercing the thick black skin on her right arm.

_Damn it! _Mizuki winced and clenched her teeth as the blade gouged into her. The ogre missed her largest blood vessels, but the pain quickly spread past the wound. A piercing, shrill tone blasted into her brain as the blade sank deeper into her arm, causing Mizuki to fall to her knees and clutch her normal left hand to her head. _What is happening to me?_

With a clatter of racing hooves, the Selesnya centaur raced over and swung his bladed staff, trying to take Mizuki's head off. Forcing her mind past the mental pain, Mizuki slipped her right arm free of the ogre's blade and swatted aside the centaur's blade with her talons. The centaur scowled and tried to slash her again, but Mizuki howled and slipped to the side, lashing her claws at the centaur.

The centaur cried out as Mizuki's talons clenched onto his armored chest, crushing the armor and drawing blood. "How do you like that, you dirty coward?" Mizuki shouted over the crowd's cheering, furious that all three of her foes kept attacking her blind spots. With a heave, she threw the centaur dozens of feet away with her right arm's great strength, then whirled around to face her other two competitors. _They're probably fighting each other now. I'll take out whichever falls first – what?_

Mizuki's luck refused to change. The goblin and ogre seemed to have made a pact, because the both of them fanned out and assaulted their human foe from different angles. The ogre charged at the left with his blade weapons raised, and the goblin secured himself into a sturdy posture and raised his weapons, his contraption's nozzles aimed right at Mizuki.

"Raaaaaah – urgh!" the ogre shrieked as Mizuki confidently pointed her right index finger at it and released a tight beam of murderous black mana. The ogre's chest started to sizzle and melt as the beam cored into the flesh, and the ogre was sent sprawling onto his back. However, the goblin had the chance to use his contraption for the first time, and Mizuki didn't like the result: fire!

"Eee-hehehehe!" the goblin laughed as twin jets of blue-red flames shot out of his nozzles, racing dozens of feet through the air to reach Mizuki. Having finished firing her finger-beam, Mizuki sprang out of the way and let the fire scorch through empty air, and she gestured with her right hand and conjured a dozen long, black tentacles of mana from the arena floor. Before she could launch them, however, the goblin swept his hands and his fire jets curved through the air after Mizuki like a snake chasing its prey.

Stunned, Mizuki scurried out of the way again but the fire streams wove this way and that, now moving too fast for her to keep up with. The goblin pumped more fuel into his fire-device and several snakes of flame surrounded her, then closed in for the kill. Mizuki hunkered down and scrunched her eyes shut as she wove her mana tentacles into a protective wall. The fire glowed bright and Mizuki felt her flesh searing as the fire started to overwhelm the makeshift cover, and she felt hot tears welling in her eyes and she clenched her teeth until her jaw went numb. _It's too hot! Must... escape..._

Then, Mizuki realized that she could sweep a finger beam through the air to cover maximum ground, hopefully striking the goblin in the process. _It's worth a shot! _She focused black mana onto her fingertip and the beam fired again, and she swept her finger in a wide arc through the raging inferno. A loud cry marked her success, and the flames died down at once. Mizuki pounced off the ground, trying to ignore the intense pain all over her skin as she landed right in front of the goblin. The blue goblin once again had a look of terror as Mizuki reached out with her clawed hand, and then she crushed his right arm and kicked him away. Another handful of black mana tentacles impaled the goblin and took him out of the fight.

Heavy footsteps warned Mizuki of her remaining foe. She turned around and beheld the incensed ogre charging at her, a wide burn in his chest and saliva flying from is bared teeth. With a bellow, the ogre slashed his blade weapons through the air as fast as he could, threatening to overwhelm Mizuki with a torrent of strikes. The Kamigawa Planeswalker dodged and blocked one blow after another, but her skin was still sensitive from the fire and her right arm started to grow heavy from all her exertion. The ogre grazed Mizuki's right arm and Mizuki flinched as a brief blast of noise shuddered her brain, and the same thing happened when the ogre scored a glancing blow on her waist and another on her left thigh.

_This ugly freak can damage my mind with his weapons! _Mizuki realized grimly as she tried to counter-attack. _I've got to end this quick... _She lunged her giant arm at her ogre foe and repeatedly slashed with her talons, but her arm was too big and slow to keep up with the ogre's weaker but faster attacks. Mizuki's talons slashes uselessly against the arena floor as the surprisingly nimble ogre dodged the attacks, then impaled Mizuki's right arm with one of his weapons.

Once again Mizuki fell to the arena floor, her cursed arm reverting to normal out of the shock of the mental attack. She seized her head with both hands and screamed, unable to hear her own voice through the din. Her brain was being crushed, burned, stabbed, and poisoned all at once, or at least that's what it felt like. The ogre slashed her across her back and she slumped to the arena floor, rocking back and forth in her agony. The noises of the crowd seemed to be washed away by the maelstrom in Mizuki's brain, and she didn't even notice the ogre preparing to deliver the final blow.

_I'm going to die! _Mizuki realized dimly, all hope of resistance lost. _I'll never be free of my curse except in death! Morrel... what would he think of me then? _She faintly recalled her Bant friend, the stubborn, jealous, but kind man she couldn't keep her mind off of. _I'm not going to be left behind!_

As though by its own accord, Mizuki's right arm swelled to its full size again, the claws staunchly catching the ogre's blades in half-strike. The ogre huffed in confusion and tried to wrench his weapons free, but Mizuki's claws clenched hard and crushed the weapons, flinging the twisted metal away. Alarmed, the ogre drew back and watched in dread as Mizuki got to her feet, her mind's torment fading away.

"Screw with me, will you?" Mizuki demanded, raising her right arm's pointing finger. "This'll teach you!" One extra-powerful finger-beam later, and the ogre's body was vaporized to smoking shreds.

"And we have our winner! Mizuki will advance to the next round!" the announcer's voice boomed,as the centaur was unable to get up again. "Our opponents have learned the hard way not to underestimate the little girl, now haven't they?"

_Little girl? I'm eighteen! _Mizuki raged in her head, but her wounds were bleeding an awful lot and she couldn't stay standing any longer. She sprawled onto her back and let the medics rush onto the field to take her away.

*o*o*o*o*

"So, what brings a nice young lady like you to the blood pits?" asked the woman in white clerical robes as she applied soothing cure magic to Mizuki's body in the Colosseum infirmary.

Mizuki shrugged as best as her wounds allowed. "The fun of it, I guess."

"You're not fighting for a guild?" the cleric asked. "Most contestants are. We're mostly getting Gruul and Rakdos fighters here but we've got some Izzet and Simic too, and even a few Selesnya."

"I don't care about those dumb guilds," Mizuki rolled her eyes.

"It's just as well," the cleric figured, now moving down to Mizuki's legs to heal them. "The guilds each believe its way is right, but their ways only bring blood to Ravnica's streets and tears to Ravnica's families."

"Whatever. Just heal me."

*o*o*o*o*

The four-way rounds, twenty in total, were finally over, and only a quarter of the contestants remained, an easily manageable number for the single-round eliminations. Humming contentedly to himself during the first half-hour break of the tournament, the blue-robed, bald official strode through the hallways of the official's quarters on his way to his office for a quick drink, feeling slightly uneasy since he was all alone in this hall.

"Hey," demanded a woman's voice, and the man yelped as Maretta landed from the ceiling, one hand on her curvy hips and a sour expression on her face. Her blue-white mana whip's handle rested innocently on her belt.

"M-my lady!" the man bowed hastily, unaware that Maretta's blue spell kept him bound to her will. "How may I serve?"

Maretta seized his shoulders and shook them. "What are you doing? Your strategy isn't working!"

"M-my lady, I'm doing what I can! I bribed Mizuki and Morrel's opponents to gang up on them, but those two kids are good. They survived their four-way rounds. Now they will only fight one foe at a time."

"This wasn't part of the plan! They are not to survive!" Maretta hissed. "And one of your minions turned against another! That Vedalken brawler helped Morrel kill that rock-thrower."

"He was only playing the game correctly," the bald man tried to defend himself. "And he _did _try to take out Morrel, like we wanted him to."

Maretta huffed. "Work with me here! I too serve a master and he does not have time for any more mishaps! We have even more enemies out there and Morrel and Mizuki must be taken out at once. Don't you have another way to do this?"

"W-well, I can arrange it so the deadliest fighters oppose Morrel and Mizuki," the man stammered as Maretta stopped shaking him. "The pairings were made according to age and power level, so as a result Morrel and Mizuki are supposed to fight relatively weak competitors. But!" he added hastily, catching sight of Maretta's expression. "I can change the charts to make sure they fight enemies too powerful for them."

Hearing that, Maretta backed up and her cheery disposition came right back. "That will do," she said happily. "I _do _have some backup plans of my own, but I'll let you try your plan first. Those enemies _will _be deadly, right?"

"Very," the man nodded. "Some of our entrants are truly frightening."

Maretta smiled widely and clapped her hands together once. "Wonderful! Well, I'll be watching. Don't let me down!"

With that, she leaped out a window and hitched a ride on a tattered-looking drake, leaving the man alone once again. Now he _really _needed that drink.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Gruul Scrapper, Boros Swiftblade, Oblivion Ring, Hindering Light, Caregiver, Centaur Safeguard, Jagged Poppet, Tendrils of Corruption, Tattered Drake**


	23. Chapter 23

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 23**

The roar of the Colosseum's audience, if anything, had grown even louder as the matches progressed, and now Morrel felt his eardrums throb from the overwhelming din as he strode into the circular arena for his first one-on-one match in the early evening. Many of the people cheered his name and pumped their fists in exultation for their human champion, while others booed him down. _I'm guessing that most of my support comes from the bettors who decided that I give good odds! _Morrel thought with a wry grin, hearing his name echo throughout the stadium.He couldn't help but feel a thrill of pride and encouragement at the thought, but his stomach seemed to turn into lead and sink as the announcer's voice boomed the introductions.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen of Ravnica, our first one-on-one match is about to begin! To the south emerges a spunky young battlemage who's proven that he can rumble with the big boys! But now the tournament enters its most dire stage and our second competitor may put an early end to this boy's slaughter spree! To the north emerges an unnamed warrior who represents the Burning Tree faction of the Gruul Clans!"

The audience's former cheering turned to collective oohs of shock and recognition, and Morrel felt the hairs on his neck rise at the sound of dread in everyone's voice. _Just what am I up against this time? _Morrel wondered, trudging up to his place on the dusty arena floor and squinting at the distant gate. _Gorgak was bad enough, but I'm getting a nasty feeling about this one. Hmmmmm... is that a man? He's awfully tall..._

Heavy footsteps echoed from the north gate's entrance tunnel, and the audience members collectively recoiled as a towering, bald man stomped smoothly into the arena, clad only in a pair of black pants and combat boots. As the man came closer, Morrel felt his throat suddenly clench and chills shoot through his nerves like gusts of arctic air. The man had to be at least seven feet tall and his arms and torso bulged with muscles, and even his corded neck looked like a fleshy tree trunk. He was bald and didn't seem to have a mouth, just skin stretched over his jaws from nose to chin.

Worst of all, the man's thick left arm ended not in a hand, but a pointed, thorn-like stinger that looked like it could easily impale one of the Naya gargantuans Morrel had once seen rampaging in Bant's golden fields. His right arm was normal in appearance, but thick black cords tightly bound the right arm to the man's side. His right hand's fist was clenched tight, hard as a rock.

"And now, let the first match... BEGIN!" the announcer thundered, and the instant he gave the word, the bald stinger-man launched into a wobbly charge as though he were in a drunken rage. Clouds of dust exploded into the air as the man's powerful legs pumped him across the arena in a murderous charge toward Morrel, and the arena floor started to shudder from the repeated footfalls.

_Come and get it, big guy! _Morrel mentally challenged him, doubting that the man would listen to a single word he said. He lowered himself into a basic defensive posture and raised his arms in preparation for the man's blows. _I'm better off redirecting his attacks rather than trying to block them. He'd break right through my guard. _Sure enough, the stinger-man quickly got within melee range and slashed his left hand's stinger right at Morrel, the deadly barb whistling through the air. Morrel rolled to the side and let the stinger pierce the arena floor instead, punching deeper into the smooth rock floor than Morrel expected.

The stinger-man tugged at his arm to free his stinger, and Morrel took this chance to throw a hard roundhouse kick at the man's bald head. The man's head jerked back from the blow, but he made no other acknowledgment of the blow and tugged again on his stinger, almost getting it loose. Frustrated, Morrel clenched his fists and repeatedly hammered his foe's temple with his bare knuckles, sending shudders through Morrel's arm bones with every strike. Dread crept into his gut with each meager blow. _This is getting me nowhere!_

Then, the stinger-man pried his stinger arm loose and swung it in a quick arc, faster than before. With his nerves tingling, Morrel sidestepped the blow and darted inside the big man's guard, channeling his modest green mana reserve into his left arm. His muscles ached from the sudden input of power, but it had to be done. With a loud grunt, Morrel sank his supercharged fist into the stinger-man's hard abdominal muscles, the blow making a loud _smack _noise and sending the big man reeling back.

_I've got him now! _Morrel thought, elated. He jumped back and whipped out three knives, hurling them at his towering foe. Clapping his hands together, Morrel channeled all of his red mana into the projectiles and the crowd cheered at the vivid trio of fireballs that erupted a second later. The stinger-man vanished in the seething inferno, but Morrel had his doubts. _I'll bet that injured him, but didn't kill him. Let's see!_

"And the excruciator takes a huge hit!" the announcer boomed. "This battlemage boy as bark as well as bite! But will it be enough? Oh, it isn't!"

Out of the receding flames erupted the excruciator, his skin singed and smoking but otherwise unharmed. He pounced like a hungry jaguar, his stinger raised for the kill. Morrel bunched up his leg muscles and tried to spring to the side, but the excruciator landed on his feet and swept one booted foot, the blow blasting into Morrel's ribs and sending the battlemage sprawling painfully to the floor.

_Wow, that hurt! _Morrel winced, his left ribs suddenly throbbing as though on fire. A shadow loomed over him, and he was too slow to prevent the excruciator's huge stinger from descending for the kill.

"Not so fast," Morrel growled, raising his hands and flooding the air with his blue and white mana. At once, the familiar blue-gold mana shield hummed to life, providing a blurry view of the excruciator beyond its translucent layers. However, Morrel felt shock as the excruciator's stinger punched right through the Hindering Light as though it weren't even there and pierced his chest.

Then Morrel felt the worst pain of his life.

Morrel writhed and clenched his teeth until they ached, but he didn't even feel any part of his body over the white-hot roar of agony that flooded his every nerve. He was reduced to an animal, every cell in his body screaming for release from the primordial force overwhelming him. If the announcer was saying something, if the crowd was cheering, Morrel was deafened to such trivial things as hearing. He slowly started to feel the excruciator's curved barb planted in his chest, pain radiating from it like scorching rays from a sun.

Inexplicably, the stinger withdrew and the excruciator stood upright, glaring down at Morrel with hard eyes that lacked pity or sentient thought. Morrel wheezed for breath and fought to make his muscles respond to his commands, the leftover agony acting like a binding agent to every physical move. Somehow, Morrel slowly got to his feet, dragging himself forward like a dying man.

"And the battlemage is back up! Not many recover from an excruciator's sting," the announcer commented, and Morrel winced again as he got fully back to his feet and stared up at the excruciator. The humanoid monster showed no emotion, but Morrel guessed that it shared the announcer's surprise at Morrel's recovery. Recovering from any such shock, the excruciator attacked again, jabbing its stinger straight at Morrel.

Knowing better than to attempt to block the blow with magic or fists, Morrel let adrenaline fuel him past the lingering pain and slipped past the sudden attack. Luckily, the excruciator employed straightforward moves and Morrel clearly read the patterns of its momentum and balance. Letting a fierce grin cross his lips, Morrel seized the excruciator's arm and heaved as hard as he could, throwing the monster past him and slamming a hard kick into its back.

Accelerated by Morrel's hard kick, the excruciator tumbled clumsily to the arena floor, further hampered by its bound right arm and lack of a left hand. Desperate to hit his opponent while he had a chance, Morrel darted over and cast another Hindering Light, this time using the magic shield as an ethereal tarp to pin the excruciator to the floor. Morrel pounced onto the tarp, drawing one of his throwing knives and clenching it tightly in his right hand and breathing hard. _This might damage my knife, but I've got to get some attacking done! _Morrel thought as he stared at his solid-metal knife, wondering whether the excruciator even felt pain at all.

With a quick strike, Morrel slashed his knife into the trapped excruciator's thick neck, and at once dark red blood seeped out of the wound and tricked across the knife's silvery blade and leaked onto the stone floor. Morrel ground and wrenched his knife back and forth, forcing the knife as deep into the monster's neck as he could. The excruciator squirmed and thrashed under the Hindering Light, but it could do nothing as Morrel wrenched his knife deeper into its muscular neck.

"Could this be the end for the excruciator?" the announcer speculated as the crowd erupted into cheers at Morrel's merciless, bloody work. "The battlemage has this foe at his complete mercy. Wait, what's this?"

The excruciator stopped squirming except for its bound right arm. The cords binding the limb in place creaked and groaned as the excruciator started to tug its right arm free, and one cord snapped loudly, falling loosely to the stone floor. Another cord snapped in half, then another and another. The excruciator ignored Morrel's knife and reached out with its almost-freed right hand, pressing its right palm flat against the arena floor.

At the touch, the arena floor exploded.

Loose rocks sprayed everywhere as the excruciator's right palm shattered a circular piece of the arena at least five feet wide. The excruciator crawled quickly out from under the mana tarp and into the depression, standing upright with Morrel still hanging onto its neck and shoulders. Without making a sound, the excruciator reached out with its right arm, attempting to seize Morrel in its grip.

Suddenly aware of why the monster's right arm was previously bound, Morrel leaped off the excruciator's neck and landed a dozen feet away, slipping his knife back into a holding ring inside his cloak. The excruciator charged once again, this time raising both hands to chest level. Morrel jumped away again just in time: the excruciator's right fist explosively shattered the arena floor with a touch, and the monster's stinger hand slashed at the airborne Morrel. Morrel shouted as the stinger's sharp point grazed his left arm, drawing blood and flooding the limb with searing agony.

_Just what am I supposed to do? _Morrel wondered desperately, landing and scuttling back from the excruciator while he clutched his stinging left arm. Sweat soaked his clothes and ran down his face, and his glasses slid out of place again. The excruciator turned around and charged once again, raising both hands just like last time. Taking a dire risk, Morrel let his foe get closer, then dodged the dual attack and swept his leg, kicking out the excruciator's left leg from under it. The burly man-beast stumbled and nearly fell, except that it pressed its right hand to the arena's floor to keep upright. This proved to be a mistake: at the slightest touch, the right hand's palm shattered the floor and sent the excruciator tumbling gracelessly to the floor in a heap. It squirmed in place, its right hand groaning and creaking in a sickening way.

Morrel stared. _That thing's right hand can't handle the stress of that explosive magic! __That's why the right arm was bound until this point. _He glanced at the excruciator's neck injury, which still oozed dark red fluid. _If I wait until this monster's right arm wears out, I can strike its neck injury and take it out! I think..._

The excruciator didn't wait. It leaped to its feet and charged yet again, seemingly incapable of more elaborate tactics. Morrel yelped as the excruciator's right hand shattered the arena floor, this time with even more force. Shock waves shuddered the stone floor and knocked Morrel off-balance, sending him crumpling to the ground. The excruciator whirled around and charged at its downed foe, but as it advanced, Morrel recalled his training session back on Esper, when he fought a doppelganger of himself in the Etherium Astrolabe. Just what had his clone taught him? _Fight with no envy or spite. Fight with pride. _Then he remembered trapping his clone in hardened crystals of mana. _That's it!_

Instead of getting up, Morrel pressed his own right palm to the arena floor and flooded a mixture of white, green, and blue mana into the stone and directed it at the approaching excruciator's feet. At once, crystals sprouted like plants and started to envelop the excruciator's feet. The crystals quickly crept up the excruciator's feet and shins, anchoring them in place on the arena floor. The excruciator lurched and nearly fell over, glaring down at the crystals that impeded its movement. Then, it crouched and touched the crystals with its right hand, shattering them into countless shards.

_That easy? _Morrel gawked. _This guy never quits! _He tried to get back to his feet but the excruciator stomped right over, kicking Morrel hard in the stomach with its booted foot, sending the battlemage tumbling away. Morrel rolled to a halt, curled up and clutching his throbbing chest. The excruciator stomped closer, holding out its stinger arm in preparation for another pain-laden blow. As soon as it stood right over Morrel, it swung down its stinger in a steep arc.

Then Morrel saw his chance: despite his injuries, he managed to scramble to his feet and kick away the excruciator's right arm, pulverizing its already-overstressed flesh. The excruciator recoiled as its tender right arm took the kick, but it still swung its stinger and redirected the point toward Morrel. Baring his teeth, Morrel seized the stinger arm's wrist and rammed the stinger to the ground, then poured the last of his mana into the excruciator's arm. Huge, sturdy crystals once again sprouted from nowhere, encasing the excruciator's entire left arm and spreading across the floor, rooting the arm in place. The frustrated excruciator struggled against its bonds, but it could not wrench itself free. Feeling giddy and light-headed from exhaustion and cautious optimism, Morrel slammed his fists into the excruciator's neck wound repeatedly, making the monster recoil and flinch with every blow at the tender injury. Finally, the excruciator slumped and closed its eyes, held up only by its crystal-encased arm.

"And we have our winner!" boomed the announcer, and the crowds went wild. "Morrel has turned the tables and showed the brute what a real beat-down looks like! The Gruul Clans may have to reconsider their tactics after this spectacular upset! Morrel advances to the second round!"

_It was nothing, _Morrel thought with amusement, but his head swam and he fell onto his hand and knees, just as he had in his four-way match. His whole body trembled and ached, and his nerves felt raw and taut from the intense pain he had experienced earlier. _Is this normal, pitting humble battlemages like me against such powerful foes? Or do the charts not have a bias for age group or body size? I just hope Mizuki will be okay for her next match. I wonder if we'll fight each other in a match? That would be scary!_

Four medics in white robes crossed the arena field to help Morrel onto his feet and ease him onto a stretcher levitated with blue mana, and Morrel gratefully lay down upon the stretcher and stared up at the sky as the hovering stretcher started to carry him away. There were a few red-faced drakes up ahead, flying in circles like vultures. _Sorry, guys, but I'm not __dead yet! _Morrel thought lightly. The drakes were quickly joined by a number of odd-looking flying things, certainly not any living thing Morrel had ever seen. He squinted at them, re-adjusting his glasses. _What are those? Flying contraptions? I think that's the kind of thing Charka wants Mizuki and I to buy for him with the tournament's prize money. And they're getting closer. I wonder why?_

Now the drakes and flying contraptions descended like hungry birds, drawing closer and closer to the arena's upper edges. Spots of light appeared on the drakes' heads, and Morrel wondered what they were doing until he realized what was going on. _Those drakes are about to breathe fire! We're under attack!_

True to Morrel's prediction, the drakes swooped down on their leathery wings and screeched loudly, hurling bright fireballs everywhere and lighting up the sky against the early evening twilight. Screams erupted in the audience and the thousands of people seated in the grandstands scrambled to their feet and started scrambling for the exits, desperate to escape the zone of fire. The announcer shouted instructions for everyone to remain calm and exit the Colosseum in an orderly fashion, but the drakes and flying machines rained down fire almost entirely on the Colosseum floor itself, ignoring the audience except for a few poorly-aimed fireballs.

"We've got to get you out of here!" a medic shouted to Morrel over the din, but the moment those words escaped her lips, one of the flying machines swooped past her like an angry bird. Shaped like a disk, the machine emitted a crackling aura of unnatural lightning and carried two humanoid faeries on sturdy cables, and those gleeful faeries hurled handfuls of blue fire at the medic and vaporized her in an instant. The flying machine roared past and a faerie tossed another blue fireball, incinerating the other medic carrying Morrel's stretcher. The Bant battlemage leaped to his feet as his stretched clattered to the stone floor, fists clenched at his side.

_This isn't good! I'm still weak after fighting that excruciator, _Morrel realized, his trembling body aching and his head throbbing._ I have to find Mizuki and get us out of here! I think the contestant waiting room is this way..._

No sooner did Morrel take a few steps did a pair of drakes descend upon him, opening their jaws wide and issuing streams of seething fire. Morrel rooted his booted feet to the ground, defiantly thrusting his hands into the air and conjuring a Hindering light. The two fireballs washed over the shield's surface and harmlessly dissipated like evaporating water, but Morrel started panting and sweating from the effort, his mana reserves feeble from the effort. _What is going on here? Who wants me dead? Is Maretta controlling these beasts? But I don't see her anywhere..._

"Morrel!" A sudden shout caught Morrel's attention, and Mizuki tore across the arena floor as fast as she could, her right arm fully manifested and stretched out for combat. She jabbed her clawed index finger at a drake and fired a beam of focused black mana, vaporizing the drake's head. The other drake screeched in fright and pumped its wings, re-joining its allies in the sky.

"Are you okay?" Mizuki panted with concern, taking her side by Morrel and clutching at his arm with her normal left arm.

Morrel released his Hindering Light and forced a smile. "As okay as I can be after getting beaten up and then attacked by drakes." His face fell. "These creatures just came in and started attacking everywhere! I think they're after me. They might be allied with Azrael, like the Kithkin were on Lorwyn."

Mizuki squinted up at the drakes and faerie riders who still threw random fireballs everywhere. "They're just toying with us, the bastards! We have no way out without getting torched."

"What are the other contestants doing? Will they help us?"

Mizuki made a face. "No, they all ran after the staff told them to."

"Well," Morrel figured, "why don't we try our odds and make a break for it? We need to regroup with Zoira anyway... wherever she went."

"Our Planeswalker allies run off at the worst times," Mizuki complained. "If she doesn't get here in time and we get killed, I'll curse her in the afterlife!"

"How about we not go to the afterlife to begin with?" Morrel said bracingly, getting out two throwing knives as he glanced back up at the drakes and faerie wizards.

Making a wry grin, Mizuki stood with her back to Morrel's. "Yeah, that's a better idea."

As one, all the drakes and faerie wizards descended and unleashed their fire.

*o*o*o*o*

The bustling crowds of Ravnica's street were merely background noise to Zoira's pointy ears as the Zendikar elf happily walked into a huge tinkerer's shop, amazed by the array of metal and wood devices inside. The other patrons gazed at the items and murmured about them with half-interest, but Zoira gawked, wide-eyed as her eyes slid over one bizarre contraption to another. She couldn't even tell what most of them did.

"I am Zazba, owner of this ship and guildmage of the Izzet League," came the formal voice of a white-haired man. He clasped his wizened hands together and walked over to Zoira, his sharp blue eyes examining the elf from under bushy eyebrows. "How may I help you?"

"Do you have anything that flies?" asked Zoira curiously.

"Oh, yes! The new model of the Glesba Magnetronic Mana-Repulsor crafts just came out," the man said excitedly. His wild tone matched his eccentric clothing: a blue cloak with a red and blue-striped shirt and dark red pants. The golden symbol of a crowned dragon rested on the sleeves of his outfit. "Although I am afraid that I only have one in stock right now, and it's on hold for another customer. I should be getting a shipment of a few more very soon, however. Would you like to reserve one?"

Zoira looked around the cavernous room and pointed. "Is _that _it?"

The vehicle she pointed at was held up twenty feet in the air by thick cables, and the craft consisted of a wide, pontoon-like hull that could probably carry twelve people at a time. Wood and metal scaffolding supported a large ship-style sail that had flexible tubes running from its mast to a metal device attached to the stern. Landing skids and handrails completed the design.

"Yes, the pride and joy of the Izzet tinkerers," the man said proudly, looking up at it with Zoira. "I can understand why you want one. Act now and you can reserve one at 10% off regular price! 9,000 gold pieces!"

Zoira checked her coin bag and smiled nervously. "How about fifteen gold pieces and a week of indentured servitude or something?"

The man stifled a chuckle. "I am afraid that that is now how my business works. If you need a loan, there is an Orzhov bank a few blocks down the street that can -"

"Freeze! Don't move, shopkeep!" barked a sudden voice, and the shop's door exploded inward from the kick of an armored man's foot. Several more armored men and a few armored minotaurs burst into the room, two of whom held massive barking dogs on chained leashes. Everyone in the shop screamed and backed up toward the walls, knocking over a few displays.

"What is the meaning of this, you Boros meatheads?" sneered the old man.

The armored captain stomped forward and drew his sword, pointing the blade at the Izzet shopkeep. "Our scouts report a widespread Izzet act of aggression in the Dalmar District and the gladiator Colosseum! Such widespread violence and acts of terror anger Razia and warrant the arrest of any suspicious Izzet guild members!"

The Izzet shopkeeper raised his hands in surrender and offered a lopsided smile. "But I'm innocent! Do you see me rampaging in the streets, attacking innocents?"

"Do not hide from us!" thundered the Boros captain. "You and many other tinkerers supply weapons of war to the Izzet armies, and we are hereby detaining you! Your goods are forfeit! Men, take everything."

At the command, the Boros soldiers fanned out and started confiscating the goods, but as Zoira watched, an idea came to mind. _There's chaos in the Colosseum? Morrel and Mizuki are in danger! I wonder if the Izzet are in league with Azrael? In that case, I've got a plan._

Retreating to a corner where no one was watching, Zoira drew a deep breath and raised her hands to waist level, flames blossoming to life on her palms and spreading to her fingers. With a sudden shout, she swept her hands up in an arc and conjured an eldritch ring of fierce red mana, making the whole shop glow. At once, a trio of flaming red beasts erupted from the ring at their master's summons, and the three creatures bound across the room and took the Boros men by surprise.

"That elf is a summoner! Detain her!" bellowed the captain, but the three creatures, flaming saber-toothed tigers, ravaged the Boros troops with their white-hot fangs and gave Zoira the chance she needed. Dashing from her cover, Zoira seized the shopkeeper by his arm and conjured another creature, this time a small phoenix hatchling that screeched loudly. Zoira and the terrified shopkeeper rode the hatchling to the pontoon craft and settled onto its deck, and Zoira unsummoned the bird with a wave of her hand while the saber-toothed tigers kept the Boros busy.

"Turn this thing on!" Zoira demanded, seizing the Izzet man by his shirt collar. "Or you'll go down in flames!" _I don't like bullying folks, but this is no time to play nice! _Zoira lamented in her head.

The Izzet man shakily nodded. "O-okay! But where are we going?"

"Just do it," Zoira demanded, and the Izzet man jumped and scampered over to the control board, pressing a few buttons and channeling his red and blue mana into a silver handle. At once, mingled scarlet and azure mana seeped through the pontoon's clear tubes and soaked into the sail like water. The entire craft began to hum and levitate, breaking free of its restraints and gliding a few feet higher into the air. Overhead, the roof of th massive shop split apart like a hatch, creating a space wide enough to admit the pontoon.

The Izzet man clung tight to the controls. "Wh-where are we going? Are you going to ransom me?"

Zoira offered a comforting smile. "I won't hurt you, I promise. I just need a sturdy craft to get me to the Colosseum and then into the Dalmar District." _If Morrel, Mizuki and I ride an Izzet craft then we can get into the Dalmar District without getting attacked! The perfect disguise. It won't work once we land, though._

Swallowing hard, the Izzet man adjusted his grip on the controls. "So be it. Are you sure you'd rather not use that fire-bird from earlier?"

"Trust me, this is better." With that, Zoira unsummoned her tigers and hung on to the guard rail as the Izzet shopkeeper flew the craft out of the shop and through Ravnica's spire-choked skies.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Excruciator, Hindering Light, Crystallization, Caregiver, Torch Drake, Wee Dragonauts, Izzet Chronarch, Boros Swiftblade, Ordruun Commando**


	24. Chapter 24

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 24**

Only a light wind disturbed the landscape, a gentle gust that stirred ashes, bits of rubble, flakes of burned clothing of victims. The setting sun threw its last rays of deep orange and red light across the shattered and half-melted stone taverns, apartments, schools, and forts on the island, and not a thing moved except the occasional scavenger. High on a rocky cliff overlooking this scene of desolation stood one man, his booted feet planted firmly on the rocky soil and his cape and long red hair stirring slightly with the wind. The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he clenched his hands into fists, staring at the ruins of his island home. _I'll scour the very edges of the Multiverse if I have to, but I will bring my people back! _Azrael swore silently, not for the first time. _My teachers, students, friends, family... and Geyosha. Those terrible invaders won't have the last laugh!_

With a sudden flare and roil of primordial red and green mana, Rohkan emerged into the scene and strode toward Azrael, his lips pursed and his dark eyes set on the human before him. Not even Rohkan's padded footsteps or the slight clanking of his four sheathed swords were necessary to alert Azrael to his minion's presence. Azrael could simply feel Rohkan's living presence nearby.

"I wish to be alone, Rohkan," Azrael said sternly without turning to face the Vedalken. The sun dipped a little lower and cast a beam of light through the rubble, forcing Azrael to shield his eyes with a hand.

Rohkan rested his hands on his top two swords' hilts. "If I may say so, lord, it is unwise to dwell upon the past. You let it consume and dominate you, and then you are lost."

Azrael grunted. "Even if your Vedalken peers dabbled in that Knowledge Pool on Mirrodin forever, they would not know what this means to me. I have no future except the resurrection of my people and my beloved sister. This is all I have left to achieve." He reached into his pocket and withdrew his shard of the Sphere of Ages. The quartz-like piece glittered with a thousand different colors that reflected off the silver armor Azrael wore on his chest.

"That may be so," Rohkan responded, unconvinced. "But I have seen and done much in my travels with you and Maretta. You are a driven man, which I can see for myself. But the slaughter of those Kithkin men on Lorwyn? How can such an atrocity bring you peace?"

"I did not do that for fun!" Azrael exploded, whirling around to face Rohkan at last. A fire burned in his eyes and he bared his teeth. "Everything I do is to reconstruct the Sphere of Ages! My sister will _not _have died in vain! I will undo what those foul invaders did, and if I must take other lives, so be it. They did not have to interfere!"

"They did not interfere. The Kithkin were trying to help you!" Rohkan barked, blood pounding in his ears. "You've recruited many armies across the Planes to help you, from the Kithkin to the Izzet and Golgari guilds on Ravnica to the Kami on Kamigawa and more! They are not your enemy. They are fellow living beings who deserve a future as much as anybody."

Azrael jabbed a finger at Rohkan. "Don't you tell me what's right and wrong, Vedalken," he wheezed, chest heaving. "Never! The end justifies the means. That's a basic lesson everyone puts into practice sooner or later. This is just an example on a grand scale."

Gripping his sword hilts tighter, Rohkan grated, "I can't justify a massacre, Azrael. Nothing can. You can't annihilate those loyal to you, especially when they have a purpose to serve."

"Don't let your personal experience warp your thinking," Azrael warned. "You were an outcast and pariah when I approached you, shunned by your knowledge-fueled people. I gave you a purpose: to help me bring back the lives of millions. If you can't do that, you are useless. Remember that."

"Even if the cause is worth fighting for, creating evil does not cure the evil of the past," Rohkan glowered. "If you continue your rampages, how does that separate you from the invaders you despise so much?"

The minute he spoke, Rohkan feared that he went too far and that Azrael would attack. Instead, however, Azrael held the Sphere fragment aloft. "_This _is what separates me from the invaders," Azrael declared, looking up at the shard as though it were a holy relic. "My sister and I created the Sphere to understand and preserve life against all odds! No one is perfect, Rohkan. Geyosha and I failed the first time, and she paid the price for it. I _will _return her to life and I _will_ become the savior of my people. I will repeat this lesson to you however many times I must in order to maintain your obedience." He lowered his gaze and met Rohkan's gaze with steely eyes. "Return to Ravnica at once and assist Maretta. Those other Planeswalkers are causing trouble. You mustn't stay here."

Rohkan stiffened. "I came here to warn you about the nature of your quest. But it seems that you are convinced beyond anything I can say."

"Excellent that you understand," Azrael replied with a sudden grin that Rohkan did not like at all. "Now, prove that you are a champion of life and assist Maretta if she needs it. You fight for the lives of millions of my people, Rohkan. Go."

The Vedalken swordsman took a few steps back and nodded, but not for the reason Azrael probably thought. _If I truly am a champion of life, then there is only one thing I can do, _he realized. _But can I risk it? Azrael has orders for me and I cannot disobey, but the other Planeswalkers like Morrel and Mizuki will oppose me. _He swallowed. _I am at a crossroads. I hope I make the right choice._

Without a further thought, Rohkan was gone.

*o*o*o*o*

"Raaaaaah!" Mizuki shouted, waving her left hand through the air as a pair of red-headed drakes swooped down on her with tongues of flame roiling in their mouths. The two drakes shrieked and squirmed in the air as dozens of tentacles of black mana shot out of the Colosseum floor and impaled the drakes from head to toe. The two drakes carelessly drooled fire as they pumped their wings frantically to stay aloft, but Mizuki's tendrils sent them both crashing to the arena floor in a heap of scales and claws.

Morrel, still exhausted from his arena battle, panted and doubled over with his hands on his knees. "I'm glad that at least you still have some stamina!"

"I always save a little energy for later," Mizuki commented, moving closer to Morrel to protect him. "Plus the fact that I didn't get a chance to do my one-on-one arena fight."

"Trust me, you're not missing out on any fun," Morrel gasped with a forced grin. He yelped and skittered away as one of the fairy contraptions zoomed by, its riders flinging streams of crackling blue fire everywhere. Morrel winced as a nearby fireball singed his battlemage cloak and nearly roasted his skin.

Mizuki stretched out her cursed hand and flexed her talons. "Come on, you cowards! Scared of a girl?"

Whether or not the drakes and fairies understood that, all of them paused for a second and descended on Mizuki, conjuring dozens of fireballs to roast her alive.

"I don't think that was wise," Morrel said nervously.

"They couldn't possibly have understood me. I just like taunting people," Mizuki replied fearfully as the swarm of Izzet warriors descended. They started to launch their fireballs... and another, much larger Izzet vehicle burst onto the scene with a roar of mana-fueled engines. Morrel and Mizuki gawked as a pontoon-like aircraft intercepted the Izzet marauders, held aloft by a giant sail soaked with blue-red mana. What was more, one of the vehicle's occupants raised her hands and a large disk of flaming red mana glowed in the air before her. Then, with a flap of its wings of fire, a phoenix materialized out of the mana ring and swooped through the formations of drakes and fairy machines. The drakes and fairies screeched and flailed as the phoenix's wings incinerated them, sending clouds of ashes scattering through the evening air like snow.

The Izzet pontoon lowered itself closer to the ground, and the pilot remained at his control board while the passenger rushed to the pontoon's edge. "Morrel! Mizuki!" shouted an excited Zoira. "Looks like I came just in time!"

"Look out!" Morrel shouted, pointing at a cluster of Izzet drakes attempting to flank the pontoon. With a sweeping gesture of her hands, Zoira guided her phoenix to intercept the drakes. The drakes spat out fireballs that collided against the phoenix's flaming body, threatening to disrupt the fire bird's cohesive body. However, the phoenix squirmed out of harm's way and regained its momentum, expelling a stream of fire from its beak that incinerated the drakes. The few surviving drakes and fairy machines beat a hasty retreat and fled the Colosseum.

With a loud hum, the pontoon lowered itself to the arena floor and Zoira extended a boarding plank, gesturing. "Come on! Get on board. We have little time left," the Zendikar elf called out.

Wasting no time, Morrel dashed up the ramp and joined Zoira on the pontoon ship, Mizuki following behind a second later. As the craft's plank retreated and the pontoon quickly lifted into the air again, Morrel shouted to Zoira over the pontoon's engine, "Where are we going?"

"To the Dalmar District. It's time to stop fooling around," Zoira told him. The wind of the pontoon ship's flight whipped her braided ponytails everywhere. "Azrael and his minions have made their move. These Izzet guild members are in league with him! So are the Golgari, it seems."

"How do you know that?" Mizuki demanded.

The phoenix tagged along the pontoon as it flew higher over Ravnica's streets, and Zoira unsummoned it with a wave of her hand and a puff of red mana. "Both the Izzet and Golgari are working together to push back the other guilds' forces in the Dalmar District in order to reach the Sphere Shard there," Zoira explained. "Plus... I can sense Maretta there."

Morrel's gut clenched. "What?"

"I can sense the presence of others," Zoira told him. "It comes with being an elf from Zendikar, I guess, or maybe it's just me. Either way, I can tell she's there! We have to hurry, or Azrael's team will take the Sphere shard and we will have risked our lives here for nothing. I won't let that happen!"

Down below, the countless churches, apartments, taverns, and guild halls of Ravnica flooded the city with window light, making the late evening remarkably bright. Morrel couldn't help but admire the view as he asked, "What about Veldor? Will he help us?"

"He's on his way," Zoira called over. "Are you fit to fight, Morrel?"

Morrel wandered over to Zoira, his head still light and his muscles aching. "Uh... no, really. That last arena fight took a lot out of me."

Looking unsurprised, Zoira fumbled in her various belt pouches and with a sound of victory, she opened a pouch and withdrew what looked like a dirt-colored plant root as thick as Morrel's thumb and twice as long. She extended it to Morrel. "Eat."

Suddenly cautious, Morrel accepted the root and examined it as the wind ruffled his dark blond hair. "What's this?"

"A root from the plesori plant from Bala Ged, my home continent on Zendikar," Zoira explained with a smile. "It packs a lot of nutrients and energy, so eat it to get your strength back! The process isn't instantaneous, but it'll do you some good."

Aware of Mizuki's amused gaze, Morrel took a deep breath and quickly bit into the root. He nearly gagged as the strong, bitter taste of soap slammed onto his tongue.

"Oh, come on!" Zoira encouraged him with a hint of laughter in her tone. The pontoon ship swerved past the spire of a massive cathedral, rocking everyone slightly. "Yeah, the root is strongly basic, but it's not hazardous. Just eat."

_Why does medicine never taste good? _Morrel grouched as he held his breath and chewed quickly on the remaining plesori root. He swallowed and took a deep breath, aware of the soapy taste on his tongue. Nonetheless, his stomach suddenly felt full and warm and his muscles ceased their exhausted tremors. He felt his blue, green, and white mana rekindle and slowly replenish, not to mention his modest red mana reserve, but as Zoira said, the process would take time. Instead of complaining out loud, Morrel gripped the pontoon's railing tight as the craft flew closer to the Dalmar District.

"There!" Zoira cried, pointing. Morrel joined her at the other side of the pontoon and beheld a large city block that consisted of half-ruined buildings. Thousands of warriors, monsters, and primitive vehicles both on ground and on foot clashed with one another all over the district, the air alight with offensive spell of all types and colors. Zoira shouted at the Izzet pilot to bring them closer.

"I don't want to die!" the elderly man whined, terror clear on his lined face.

Zoira forced herself to be patient. "Remember what kind of magic I can use? It would be a shame if I used you for target practice."

"V-very well," the old man swallowed, adjusting the controls of the pontoon. He guided the craft even closer to the battle, and Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira flattened themselves on the ship's deck to hide their identities. The Izzet warriors maintained air superiority in the massive battlefield, and they all ignored the pontoon ship as it sailed past them and toward the central building of the district.

The pilot squinted. "There it is," he shouted over the din. "Whatever everyone's fighting for, it's in that tower!"

He was right; every guild warrior here fought each other to reach that tower, and hundreds of bodies littered the district in a ring around it. More and more arrows and non-Izzet fireballs and offensive spells started to shoot close to the pontoon, prompting the pilot to ease the craft to the ground before it was shot down.

"This is as close as I can get you!" the Izzet pilot declared as the wind buffeted his shocking white hair. "I'm not getting killed for this, you hear me? You're on your own! I'm going as soon as I can."

"Fine with me," Zoira called back. As the pontoon settled on its landing skids on the flat earth near an apartment building, Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira hurried down the craft's boarding ramp and the Izzet pilot eagerly lifted his vehicle off again and soared away. The tower loomed ahead and most of the battle's contestants fought behind the trio, but they were bound to be noticed soon.

Zoira motioned. "Come on, let's hurry. Don't attack anyone unless attacked first!"

Only too eager to get away from the fierce battle, Morrel joined Zoira and Mizuki as they bolted across the half-destroyed district toward the imposing Gothic tower up ahead. Like on Lorwyn and Kamigawa before that, the hairs on Morrel's arms and the back of his neck stood up from the overwhelming presence of the Sphere shard, even though it was still hundreds of feet away. There was no mistaking that aura of roiling, bizarre mana.

"You know, Zoira," Morrel huffed as he and the others began climbing over the rubble around the battered tower, "I didn't know that you wielded red magic. Those summons took me quite by surprise." He hoisted himself over a chunk of a brick wall, careful not to lose his grip.

Zoira smiled. "I am the only member of my home tribe to ever use red mana, in fact. My people, the Joraga elves, are not known for fire magic, but mainly for green and black. I'm a little on the wild side, you see." She added a wink for emphasis.

Morrel frowned. _Is that a bitter undertone I hear in her voice?_

Mizuki manifested her right arm's curse, her arm swelling to full size and her skin growing black and mottled. She seized the ledge of a wall of easily hoisted herself up, then nimbly pranced from place to place on her bare feet. "Come on, guys, hurry up!"

"I'm not suited for light-footed work like this!" Morrel called up, irritated. His long-sleeved clothing and battlemage cloak didn't help either, although Zoira's clothing was built for nimble movement. Sweat started to soak into Morrel's clothes, displeasing him.

Mizuki giggled. "What's the matter, Morrel? Jealous of my mobility?"

"I am not –!"

"Oh, whatever," Mizuki smiled, gesturing with her hand. Morrel felt his stomach lurch with vertigo as a sudden swarm of black mana tentacles formed a harmless mass and boosted him toward the distant Mizuki. The Bant battlemage stumbled a bit as he was deposited on the sixth floor of the tower, aware that large chunks of the tower's walls were missing, exposing the insides. Zoira pulled herself up too, hardly breaking a sweat.

Then a sudden screech made everyone jump.

"Imps!" Zoira growled, lowering herself into a battle posture as four black-skinned imps hovered in place on their tattered but powerful wings. The four beasts flexed their fingers in hunger, long talons scraping against each other. The imps bared their sharp teeth and shrieked again, then swooped down for the attack.

Mizuki's giant right hand swatted aside an imp, but another one slipped past her guard and slashed its claws at her. Acting quickly, Morrel seized two of his knives and hurled them as hard as he could. The ambush imp snarled as the knives sank into its flesh, and Mizuki pranced back to gain a little room. A second later, her talons swept through the air and reduced the imp to shreds.

"Using your magic lured them here, Mizuki!" Zoira realized out loud as she dodged a dive-bomb attack from the other two imps.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" Mizuki complained. All the same, she jabbed her giant right index finger at another imp and the imp was vaporized by a beam of intense black mana. Discouraged, the other two imps fluttered off, leaving behind a rather noxious odor reminiscent of seaweed.

Zoira planted her hands on her hips, an excited look in her eyes. "Well, the damage is already done. I might as well do this!" With a flourish of her hands, she once again conjured the flaming phoenix and the fire bird landed nimbly on its feet, cawing at Morrel and Mizuki out of curiosity.

"Doesn't casting all this red magic wear you out?" Morrel asked incredulously as he and the others boarded the phoenix's back and hung on tight. He had already collected his two thrown knives, displeased by the purple imp blood that now stained the blades.

Zoira shook her head. "I spend only minimal mana to activate the contracts I have with my summons, but the longer my summons stay out, the more worn out _they _get. So I have to rotate through them, and I have no more than a dozen individuals. Let's ride!"

The phoenix cawed again and took to the air, buffeting its riders in gusts of hot wind as the bird soared vertically along the side of the massive, semi-ruined tower. In less than a moment's time, the phoenix landed on the top of the tower's wide roof, a square area wide enough for a Naya gargantuan to comfortably lie down upon. Morrel disembarked the phoenix and Mizuki and Zoira followed suit, but the three of them didn't relax just yet.

They had company, and a lot of it.

"Look, Rohkan! The kids want to play," Maretta told her Vedalken ally with amusement, lashing her sizzling blue mana whip against the tower's stone roof with impunity. The whip-woman tossed her long brunette ponytail, one hand on her curvy hips.

Rohkan rested a hand on one of his sword hilts. "So it appears, Maretta." Around him and Maretta lurked dozens of Golgari monsters, including several of the smelly imps along with other beasts that Morrel didn't recognize. Among them were several skull-headed zombies that had thick plants growing on their bodies as a sort of living armor.

"Better clear off, you thugs," Zoira warned them, her tone suddenly heavy and menacing as she took a few steps forward. Her phoenix screeched a warning. "We're not going to play nice. And Veldor should be here any minute now."

Maretta laughed lightly. "You don't scare me, pointy-ears!" she taunted. She snapped her whip against the tower's roof again, azure sparks flying from the impact. "You sound afraid o _me_."

"Retreat, fellow Planeswalkers," Rohkan added in his deep voice, taking one step forward. "Enough blood has been spilled, enough tears shed already. Leave us be and all can be well."

"All can be well? Don't you kid me, blue bastard!" Mizuki growled, waving her cursed hand. "See this? I got this curse because of the Kami monster that your boss controls! All my misery is because of you people!"

"A regrettable thing, truly," Rohkan commented, and whether he was sincere or not, Morrel could not tell. "But I can do nothing for you but offer you the chance to abandon your dangerous quest and preserve your life and that of your friends. Do not be a fool."

Growing impatient, Maretta turned to Rohkan "Come on, that's no fun! You're letting them run away?"

"It is as I said. I do not wish to slaughter every being I encounter," Rohkan persisted. "I can be useful to Azrael in other ways."

"You can be useful by getting your sorry hides out of here!" Zoira shouted to both hostile Planeswalkers, fierce flames suddenly dancing all over her skin and in her braided hair. The elf lady's eyes glowed scarlet as she raised her hands, a ring of fire popping into existence. With a loud shriek, the phoenix pumped its wings and shot toward its enemies, beak opening wide to emit a stream of hellish fire. Meanwhile, five flaming saber-tooth tigers erupted from Zoira's summoner ring and joined the phoenix.

Smiling, Maretta heaved her Whip of Thegns and the blue mana cord split into five, each piercing the neck of a different Golgari monster. Bolstered by Maretta's control magic, three imps, a plant zombie, and a bulky scarab beetle-like beast all formed a living wall to meet Zoira's flaming horde dead-on. Morrel expected Zoira's creatures to blast through Maretta's Golgari minions, but what he saw astounded him.

Just before the phoenix and tigers got withing melee range, Maretta flooded dazzling white mana through her multi-pronged whip and hardened cocoons of mana enveloped her five servants. The shields flared brightly and sputtered as Zoira's fire minions strained against the Golgari beasts, but Maretta's defenses held and Zoira's stymied forces drew back, stunned.

"How did she do that?" Mizuki growled, her eyes wide with shock. "Shields?"

"It was defensive white magic," Morrel realized grimly. "Looks like Maretta learned a new trick or two."

Huffing in defiance, Zoira drew her creatures back and sent out her phoenix again, this time aiming the phoenix on a tall flight arc that brought it high over the tower and sent it diving right down on Maretta. The three imps converged on the phoenix and flared up their white mana shields again, but this time the phoenix screeched loudly and emitted a blast of fire that fizzled out the imps' shields and then vaporized the imps themselves. The phoenix crashed down upon Maretta, sending a shockwave of fire everywhere. The Golgari creatures scuttled away from the blast, although one of the plant-zombies squirmed as its body was roasted into ashes. Rohkan, meanwhile, stood still, being already outside the blast radius.

The phoenix cawed once and collapsed in a whirl of flames, its energy spent. Morrel hoped against hope that he'd see a charred Maretta, but there she stood, protected by a shimmering white mana barrier that spat out sparks here and there from the strain of resisting the phoenix's fire.

"Wow! That's a nice bird," Maretta teased Zoira as she lowered her personal barrier. "Too bad you weren't expecting this!"

Zoira ground her teeth. "Damn you!" She sent out her fiery saber-tooth tigers and conjured another quartet of creatures. Elephant-sized wingless dragons joined the saber-tooth tigers and skittered across the battlefield toward Maretta, fire leaking from their nostrils. Smiling again, Maretta leaped back and swung her mana whip through the air, splitting the cord into a dozen small cords that joined onto Golgari creatures. The Golgari monsters rushed forth and fire met with the tenacity of the undead and the toughness of armored plants.

Ignoring the mass battle on the roof's left side, Morrel nodded to Mizuki and the two of them dashed after the waiting Rohkan, Mizuki raising her cursed arm to an attack position and Morrel held a throwing knife in each hand, imbuing his scrap of red mana into them. Rohkan took a few heavy steps forward, his four muscular arms seizing the hilts of his four swords and drawing the blades, two short and two long.

"Heeeyyyah!" Mizuki howled as she leaped nimbly into the air, giant talons outstretched and reaching toward Rohkan. Just as Rohkan raised his four blades to intercept Mizuki, Morrel hurled his two knives at the Vedalken and clapped his hands together, triggering two explosions that buffeted Rohkan. Mizuki landed in the fireball and slashed her talons into the fires to slice Rohkan into ribbons, but she shrieked as a sudden, new blast of fire sent her flying away and tumbling onto the floor. Her cursed arm was burnt and raw from the heat.

Out of the fires stepped an unharmed Rohkan, swords held high. "Did you think that that meager fire attack and claw slash would defeat me?" he demanded. With a flourish, Rohkan jabbed his two long swords at Morrel and Mizuki, and a long, thick tongue of flame shot out of each blade and raged toward their targets. Stomach clenching in dread, Morrel leaped away from the fire stream aimed at him and Mizuki did likewise, but neither of them saw a chance to hit back.

"This isn't good. He's as good at range as he is at close quarters," Morrel said grimly, taking Mizuki's side as he kept his eyes on his foe.

Mizuki huffed. "Don't give up yet! You've got defensive magic. Try charging him and using a barrier to protect yourself, then I can hit his flank."

Morrel glanced at the Zoira-Maretta battle. "And maybe Maretta can send something else to help."

Losing all patience, Rohkan pushed off the rooftop and charged with alarming speed, slashing his four swords through the air as he went. Swallowing hard, Morrel dashed forth to counter Rohkan, heart hammering as the Vedalken's four deadly blades drew nearer. Rohkan flooded the air with sword strikes, and Morrel felt his muscles growing tired as he desperately dodged one blow after another. _I'm still not fully recovered! _Morrel realized as Rohkan's blades repeatedly scored glancing blows against his skin, scoring a half-dozen cuts all over Morrel's body. Morrel ducked one sword strike and slipped past two more, then evaded a top-down slash from a long blade. Rohkan jabbed at Morrel with two more blades that met empty air, then forced Morrel back with another triple-strike.

"You cannot harm me. Run, Morrel, before you lose your life for nothing," Rohkan growled. Not falling for Rohkan's taunts, Morrel panted hard as he let the Vedalken swordsman charge again, then he raised his hands and cried out as he filled the air with his white and blue mana just in time.

Rohkan's four blades bounced right off the wide barrier and Rohkan stumbled back from the reflected momentum. Right on cue, Mizuki positioned herself right at Rohkan's vulnerable flank and pointed with her huge right hand's index finger, intense black mana collecting at the fingertip. Rohkan didn't even have time to react before the vicious beam lanced through the air and blasted into his gut, sending the Vedalken skidding across the rooftop, kicking up rubble as he went.

Morrel fought back a tremor in his body as he lowered his Hindering Light, watching Rohkan tentatively. "Did you get him?"

"I hope so," Mizuki commented, taking a few steps toward her fallen foe. "I put a lot into that beam. There's no way anyone could – oh, curse _me_!"

With a definite shakiness in his six limbs, Rohkan staggered back to his feet and still clung to all four of his swords. A huge patch of sizzling green mana latched itself onto Rohkan's chest, sealing off his injury and melding it with the regenerative power of primeval green mana. "That was better, but still not enough," the Vedalken declared. "You cannot -"

One of Zoira's flightless dragons broke free of the other battle and whipped Rohkan with its huge tail, sending the Vedalken crashing to the ground. Then the dragon bathed Rohkan in a dazzling array of fire.

"Well, maybe _that _was enough!" Morrel proclaimed, beside himself with sudden glee. "Great job, Zoira!"

"Thank you!" responded the elf, who still had to focus on her creatures as they battled Maretta's shield-enhanced Golgari minions.

Then, Rohkan leaped back to his feet and pounced into the air, his four swords held out wide like the wings of a bird of prey. Zoira's dragon could only grunt in shock before Rohkan's four swords rapidly whirred through the air, shredding the dragon's neck like a swarm of locusts. Hundreds of flesh scraps drifted to the ground and then the decapitated dragon's body slumped to the roof, dissolving into wisps of red mana. The healing green mana still clung to Rohkan's body and the Vedalken stood tall as the dragon vanished.

"Oh, now we're doomed," Mizuki joked feebly.

Rohkan leaped into action again, his wounds almost entirely sealed up as he got within melee range of Morrel and Mizuki. His swords lashed through the air, aided by occasional bursts of fire. Morrel dodged and ducked the blades as best he could, but he found little chance to hit back. _Damn it! Rohkan's attacks are simply too fast. He has no openings! _Morrel cursed. He slipped past a sword thrust and jumped away from a double blade strike, then tried to seize one of Rohkan's arms to throw off the Vedalken's momentum. In retaliation, Rohkan kicked Morrel away with one foot, nearly knocking Morrel over.

Mizuki shouted in rage as she sliced open Rohkan's exposed back with her giant talons, drawing a howl of agony from the Vedalken. Mizuki sent out a clump of mana tentacles to finish the job, but Rohkan rapidly filled the air with his swords and shredded the mana tentacles. He bashed Mizuki's forehead with the pommel of one sword, then sent her sprawling to the floor with a powerful, bone-jarring kick. Mizuki groaned as she tried to get back up, her whole body shaking.

_Wait. Rohkan is holding back! _Morrel gawked as Rohkan's back injury started to mend. _He's tough, but he's using non-lethal blows. Is he still trying to send us away without killing us? I don't get it. He's Azrael's top agent! _Then something else occurred to him. _And he's open!_

Rather than try to physically strike Rohkan, Morrel crouched to steady himself as he conjured a torrent of white, green, and blue mana, thrusting this triple-mana flow onto the floor right under Rohkan's feet. Huge, unnatural crystals erupted like trees and clung to Rohkan's feet, climbing up his ankles and halfway up his shins. The Vedalken swordsman heaved and strained his legs against the restraints, but Morrel clenched his teeth, clawing out his fingers as he poured all his mana into the hindering crystals. The crystals crept up to Rohkan's knees and swelled in size, resolutely binding the swordsman in place.

Mizuki clamored back up to her feet, excitement clear on her face. "Ha! Now we've got him! Morrel, if you please?"

Two dozen mana tentacles assaulted Rohkan from all sides, accompanied by all of Morrel's remaining throwing knives. Anger clear on his hairless blue face, Rohkan raised his swords and intercepted the blows as best he could, but he could not move around to dodge the blows he couldn't deflect. Mana tentacles impaled his shoulder and gut, and one of Morrel's knives sank deep into Rohkan's left thigh and another on his right arm, plus a third on his chest.

"If... you will force me to do so... then I will use the true extent of my abilities to finish this!" Rohkan huffed, blood dropping from his wounds as he pulled out Morrel's knives and threw them to the floor. His green mana manifested to heal his wounds, but the green mana was noticeably paler than before, and the wounds started healing at a slower pace than usual.

Mizuki took up a defensive stance by Morrel's side. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Neither do I," Morrel admitted as he watched the spectacle.

Rohkan closed his eyes and brought his four swords into a bundle, hilts together and blades together. Then, with a brilliant glow of red and green mana, the swords began to meld into one. Not only that, but the single, unified sword swelled rapidly in size until its blade grew to be nearly ten feet long and two feet wide, and the hilt was four feet long and as thick as Morrel's arm. Rohkan opened his eyes and smiled grimly as he took hold of the gargantuan sword's hilt with all four hands, wielding the super-sword with surprising finesse, as though it barely weighed a thing.

"Now, you are finished," Rohkan said quietly.

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **The plesori root was a slight reference to Pleisorium, the heroine of _Of Protection and Instinct _by Shieb. While brainstorming a name for the root, the name "plesori" popped into mind and I figured that it was drawn from Pleisorium, so I'll make the root name a little nod to _Of Protection and Instinct._

**Cards in this chapter... Tendrils of Corruption, Torch Drake, Wee Dragonauts, Izzet Chronarch, Stinkweed Imp, Woodwraith Strangler, Grave-Shell Scarab, Withstand, Incinerate, Hindering Light, Regenerate, Crystallization**


	25. Chapter 25

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 25**

Despite the enormous sword that Rohkan wielded in his four hands, Mizuki let out a bark of laughter, pointing with her left hand. "You, finish off Morrel and I? With that clumsy big sword? And your feet trapped in crystals?"

Frowning in irritation, Rohkan hefted his sword to a better grip and raised it vertically, the blade tip pointed at his feet. With a grunt, Rohkan heaved the giant sword down and at the point of contact, a shuddering wave of kinetic force blasted outward in a ring. Morrel yelped and fought for balance as a seismic rumble swept across the tower's roof, but to no avail; the mortared stones making up the roof shattered and roiled with the intense force, throwing Morrel to the ground flat on his stomach. He felt the air forced out of his lungs and broken brick shards poke into his skin, and Mizuki was similarly sprawled out nearby. That wasn't the worst of it; the crystals encasing Rohkan's feet shattered easily like a thin film of ice, shards of unnatural crystals flying everywhere in a cloud.

Freed, Rohkan bunched up his legs and pounced like a frog, swinging his enormous sword back as though it were a mere willow wand instead of a ten-foot-long sword.

"No you don't!" Mizuki shouted as Rohkan's blade descended through the air, aimed right at her neck. She thrust out her giant cursed hand and caught the oversized blade in her ivory-colored talons, but Morrel saw Mizuki's arm trembling against the awesome strength Rohkan brought to bear. The Vedalken landed on his feet and pressed harder, using his stance on the ground to stabilize his attack.

Sparks of green, red, and black mana sputtered from the point where Rohkan's blade met Mizuki's claws, and the huge sword crept inexorably closer to its human prey as a look of increasing terror spread on Mizuki's face.

_Not in my lifetime, _Morrel vowed to himself. He didn't yet hoist himself to his feet on the shattered rooftop but instead, he reached out and channeled blue and white mana through his fingers and a Hindering Light barrier popped into existence between Rohkan and Mizuki. Taking her chance, Mizuki scrambled out from the Hindering Light and pranced away on her bare feet, letting Rohkan shatter the Hindering Light with one jab of his sword.

"Admirable teamwork," Rohkan commented, raising his giant sword back to ready position. "Neither of you will abandon the other, even when your reserves of mana grow dim."

Morrel clutched a hand at his sternum. _Actually, it's the plesori root that's juicing me up, but that won't last forever, _he thought, warily watching Rohkan slowly approach again. _What can I do against a threat like this? Rohkan is unlike anything I've ever faced! Except Azrael himself..._

"Hey! Rohkan!" Maretta called over.

The Vedalken turned his head to face her, impatient. "What is it?"

"Try to keep the trembly stuff to a minimum, okay? We're fighting over here, too!" Maretta pouted. She flashed her multi-corded mana whip through the air, guiding more of her shielded Golgari minions toward Zoira's flaming servants.

Rohkan shook his head. "I am sorry, but no." With that, he turned back to Morrel and Mizuki, then slashed his sword across the roof, carving a wide arc across the crumbled stone.

Morrel was ready this time, and he leaped into the air as the shock wave raged underfoot. He landed again and threw a quartet of his knives at Rohkan to distract him while Mizuki approached from the side. Rohkan merely swished his sword horizontally through the air and a sudden gale buffeted both the swords and Mizuki alike, throwing them toward the ruined tower roof. The knives clattered to the rooftop and Morrel rushed over to Mizuki, catching her in his arms just before she hit the stone ground.

"Thanks for that," Mizuki grunted as she got back to her feet, glaring at her opponent. "Okay, switch it: I make the cover and you approach!"

Unwilling to wait, Rohkan jabbed his sword at the rooftop and a narrow channel of shock waves rocketed toward Morrel, and the Bant battlemage barely evaded it in time. Rohkan struck the roof again and again with his sword, channeling red and green mana that shuddered the roof with explosive results. Only narrowly avoiding one such tremor, Mizuki planted her feet as firmly as she could on the jagged rooftop and pointed her giant right index finger at Rohkan, pouring her dwindling reserves of black mana into the talon. A beam of focused black mana lanced at Rohkan like an arrow, and the Vedalken swordsman raised his blade and let the beam strike the metal surface. Rohkan dug his feet into the rooftop to keep steady as the mana beam pushed at him relentlessly.

Morrel sprinted across the battlefield and launched himself into the air, throwing a roundhouse kick at Rohkan's exposed head. Rohkan noticed the incoming blow just in time and spun away, releasing his blade from the deadlock with the mana beam. The black mana beam blasted into the rooftop near Rohkan, throwing off his balance. Morrel took his chance: landing back on the ground, Morrel swung his fist and caught Rohkan's jaw, throwing the Vedalken's head to the side. Tightening his fists as hard as he could, Morrel sank one fist into his enemy's chest, then blasted another fist onto Rohkan's temple. The Vedalken hung tightly onto his blade but stumbled back, stunned. Grinning, Morrel lowered himself and quickly swept out his leg, blasting Rohkan's legs out from under him. The Vedalken crumpled in a confused heap, sprawling across the ground.

"There we go!" Mizuki cried in delight, pouncing on her downed foe. Before she could land a blow, however, Rohkan jabbed his blade through the air and threw Mizuki back with a tunnel of shock energy, then scraped his sword on the ground. Morrel cursed as he was thrown back by a seismic shock in the ground, and Rohkan took his chance to get back up, albeit shakily. Rohkan swung his sword down at Morrel, and the Bant battlemage rolled out of the way.

Mizuki leaped back to her feet and caught Rohkan on his blind spot, raking her talons across his flesh and drawing blood. Howling, Rohkan slashed his giant blade back at Mizuki, cutting deep into her cursed hand. The Kamigawa Planeswalker wailed in agony as she stumbled back, her giant right arm going slack from the deep wound. Dark blood seeped from the injury and Mizuki's face grew paler by the minute.

Blood pounding in his ears, Morrel summoned up the last of his mana and thrust out his hand, stark-white mana flowing from his hand like mist. A wide ring of white mana flashed into existence, taking Rohkan's sword with it.

Rohkan blinked at his suddenly empty hands, stunned by the Oblivion Ring that robbed him of his only weapon. "If that's how you want to fight, Morrel, then so be it," he warned, clenching all four fists. "But you must know that it is futile, and Mizuki is injured and unable to fight. Flee!"

Morrel gave Rohkan a dismissive look. "Sorry, Rohkan, but I'm beyond trying to forgive Azrael or his minions. You guys are trying something terrible by trying to re-assemble that Sphere of Ages. You brought this on yourself."

Rohkan looked strangely disturbed. "Yes. So I did," he muttered, and then he and Morrel charged at each other, fists raised.

*o*o*o*o*

"I thought you'd be a challenge!" Maretta complained. "You got past my Izzet minions just fine, so put up a fight already!" Three of her shielded imps beat back one of Zoira's wingless dragons, their tainted claws dissolving the dragon's scaly flesh. Blue mana tendrils connected the imps to their human mistress.

Zoira motioned with her hands, altering her strategy. "How's this for a challenge?" She had unsummoned her phoenix to conserve its strength. The wingless dragon snarled and pulled back, forcing the imps to fly closer to resume their assault. The imps shrieked as the dragon spun around, whipping its thick tail through the air and swatting aside the three imps. One of them was blasted into pieces while the other two limped away weakly.

Then Zoira's flaming saber-tooth tigers charged, fire crackling on their paws and their saber-teeth poised for the kill. Flicking her mana cords through the air, Maretta guided her minions forth, three plant-zombies and a huge scarab beetle with green, mossy chitin. The tigers pounced on one of the plant zombies, slashing their flame paws across the unyielding white mana shield that cocooned the zombie. One of the tigers yelped as a plant zombie swept it aside, but the remaining tigers ignored their fellow's plight and broke through the first zombie's shield and incinerated the Golgari creature.

"Focusing your fire? Very nice," Maretta hissed, twirling her whip through the air some more. Her imps came back with infectious claws, strafing the tigers and wingless dragons as they charged again. One of the dragons rumbled as imp claws raked its head, but Zoira's summons threw aside Maretta's minions with blasts of fire and they had a clear path on Maretta herself. Just as they got close, however, Maretta relieved a few of her Golgari thugs of their mana cords and guided the free lashes toward Zoira's creatures instead.

Suddenly realizing what Maretta was planning, Zoira commanded her summons to evade the blue mana cords, but a dragon and tiger were too slow. Zoira felt her eldritch connection to those two animals vanish as Maretta's whip took command of them, forcing them to fight the other summons. Taken by surprise, Zoira's summons howled as Maretta's newest pawns struck with claw and flame. The Golgari thugs regained their momentum and charged en masse at the exposed Zoira.

_Sorry, phoenix, but I need you again! _Zoira focused her red mana and conjured her fire ring once again. The phoenix swooped out of it, its flaming wings noticeably dimmer than before. Still, the majestic bird cawed and flapped its wings once, engulfing the Golgari monsters in a maelstrom of raging fire. As the flames dissipated, only charred ashes remained of the Golgari thugs, both their white mana shields and natural armor burned to nothing. Zoira prayed to the gods for her phoenix to hold out, but the bird was spent. With one last croak, the phoenix collapsed in on itself and was gone with a puff of embers.

"Oh, too bad about your fire pigeon," Maretta teased Zoira, flinging around the mana cords that had latched onto the Golgari thugs. Realizing that she was about to lose her other minions, Zoira unsummoned most of her creatures, leaving only the two under Maretta's control and one last saber-tooth tiger. The mana cords chased after the tiger but the flaming cat sprinted out of the way, zig-zagging as it approached Maretta. With a shrieking howl, the fire cat pounced and slashed its claws and fangs against Maretta's personal mana shield, sparks flying from the points of contact. Wincing from the effort, Maretta sent her two minions after the tiger to distract it, then took control of the free tiger with a whip thread.

"There. Only I command an army now!" Maretta gloated as her dragon and two saber-tooth tigers turned to face Zoira, prepared to attack. "What else have you got, fire elf?"

_I can't lose like this! _Zoira fought back panic in her gut as she tried to weave unsummon magic on her three surviving minions, but nothing happened: they were truly under Maretta's command. She backed away slowly, heart hammering as her own creatures advanced on her. _What do I do?_

The dragon and two tigers pounced for the kill, and then, as if from thin air, a large, bronze humanoid figure appeared and blocked the incoming attack, shielding Zoira from harm with its wide body and thick arms.

"What... what?" Zoira sputtered, gaping. Then she realized what she was looking at. "Veldor?"

The Etherium-armor-clad man turned back to look at Zoira, excitement blazing in his brown eyes. "Hello, Zoira. I got here just in time, huh? Very lucky. Close call."

"Did you just Planeswalk here like that and block the attack?"

"I did. Tricky, but I've practiced this technique. Finally came in handy," Veldor explained in his usual rushed babble. The dragon and two tigers still strained against Veldor's giant armor suit, but the Esper Planeswalker channeled all of his blue, white, and black mana into the armor suit and kept the animals at bay. "And now I'm going to end this battle. Are you hurt, Zoira?"

"N... no," Zoira shook her head. Then she smiled. "You have the damnedest timing."

Veldor merely smiled back, then turned his attention back to his foes.

*o*o*o*o*

Howling in rage, Rohkan stampeded across the ruined tower rooftop, all four blue fists swishing through the air. Tightening his own hands into fists, Morrel tracked his opponent's movements as best as he could, ducking and evading Rohkan's flurry of punches. _The good news is, he uses crude moves that are easy to avoid, _Morrel analyzed as he ducked a pair of fists and twisted past a jab at his stomach. His feet danced all across the jagged stone floor to keep his body moving. _The thing is, he uses four arms! I've never trained for an opponent like this._

"Give up!" Rohkan shouted in frustration, landing a glancing blow on Morrel's cheek but failing to down his human foe. Morrel clenched his jaw as he ducked another punch to the face and slipped into Rohkan's blind spot, and he swept his foot to topple Rohkan. The blow smashed Rohkan's legs against each other and the Vedalken tipped, and Morrel took his chance by throwing another pair of punches. Quick on the upkeep, Rohkan stabilized himself by planting both left hands on the floor and blocking with his two right hands, then throwing a hard kick at Morrel's gut. Morrel's breath exploded from his mouth as the Vedalken's foot slammed into his stomach like a crazed Rhox, sending him stumbling back with a hideous ache.

Rohkan recovered and swung his fists to knock Morrel out, but the Bant battlemage read Rohkan's blunt moves and evaded them, then he took a risk and seized both of Rohkan's left arms and pulled. Rohkan grunted in surprise as he felt himself getting thrown off-balance by his own momentum, shepherded by Morrel's grapple. Rohkan gasped as Morrel's knee crashed into his ribs and Morrel's elbow bashed on the back of his head.

Growling, Rohkan squirmed away and rammed his open palm onto Morrel's left shoulder, sending Morrel spinning away off-balance. Rohkan charged again and threw a quartet of punches, but Morrel's leg shot out in a vicious kick that connected at the same time as the four fists. Both Morrel and Rohkan crashed to the stone floor and sprawled away from each other, both gasping for breath and nursing various aches.

"I'm not... giving up, monster," Morrel huffed as he wobbled to his feet. His legs trembled and his stomach churned in a sickening way, but he refused to tear his increasingly blurry vision from his blue, four-armed enemy. His Oblivion Ring vanished and Rohkan's giant sword popped back into existence, clattering to the ground.

Rohkan spat a glob of blood and rose to his feet, stooped with fatigue. His regenerative green mana was long spent. "I won't... retreat, either," he grated back. "I don't want to kill you, Morrel. You committed no crime but interfere with Azrael's work. You need not pay with your life."

"I don't understand," Morrel panted, his aching brain whirring. "Why so much mercy? It's like you don't really want to fight!"

Nearby, Mizuki watched the two fighters square off, her giant arm shrunk back to normal. She clutched her bleeding right arm to her chest, breathing heavily. _I don't get it either, _she thought. _What is Rohkan planning?_

Rohkan made an impatient noise. "I do want to fight, it is just..." he broke off, glancing away. He breathed heavily and his eyes danced, as though he waged a fierce mental battle. Morrel gawked, wondering if Rohkan had a secret agenda of his own that he had been holding back this whole time. Morrel's conjectures, however, were interrupted by a new arrival as another Planeswalker entered Ravnica.

"I have suspected this ever since Lorwyn, Rohkan," commented an unamused voice horribly familiar to Morrel's ears. Gliding forward a few feet off the tower's rooftop, the red-headed Azrael fixed his stern eyes on Rohkan as his bright red cape fluttered at his armored shoulders.

"What do you want with me?" Rohkan spat, turning to face his master.

"I want to know why you fail me yet again!" Azrael thundered, landing at last on the ground a dozen feet from Rohkan. "You refuse to finish off your foes and you clearly despise my noble ambitions. Why is this! Tell me!"

Rohkan glared. "You assume nonsense."

"Do I?" Azrael demanded. Even Maretta, Veldor, and Zoira stopped to regard the newcomer. Azrael pointed a finger at Rohkan. "I've seen the way you cringe at my methods and question my ambition! You joined me because you wanted to serve a cause greater than yourself, but you've strayed from that and become useless! What do you say for yourself?"

Morrel braced himself as the Vedalken staggered over to where his giant sword lay. Rohkan wrapped his four hands around the hilt and lifted the weapon to a ready position, then flooded the blade with primordial green and red mana. "I say... that I serve you no more!" Rohkan bellowed, and with a downward sweep, he smashed the tip of his blade against the floor.

Everyone else recoiled as a tremendous, narrow shock wave raged toward Azrael like a bloodthirsty wurm, but Azrael merely looked contemptuous as the shock wave drew closer. Spreading his arms out for balance, Azrael lifted himself off the ground once again and extended his left hand, letting Rohkan's savage shock wave strike his open palm. Fiery sparks of mana showered from the point of contact where the shock waves met Azrael's open hand, and the thick tunnel of seismic energy halted and strained against its foe. Still, like water eroding rock a million times faster, Azrael's hand dispelled the shock wave as it came until the shock waves were spent.

_Oh, this isn't good, _Morrel joked feebly to himself as Azrael glided higher into the air, now extending his hands with clouds of sickly black mana focusing on his palms. Then, Azrael smiled coldly and thrust his hands out, conjuring a tidal wave of ghostly but thick black mana that rushed toward everyone in sight. The ocean of ravenous black mana swelled even more and spilled all across the battle-damaged tower, burning through the building like corrosive acid and tilting the whole structure. Morrel felt a thrill of vertigo as the tower began to lean and crumble from the strain, and he was not alone: everyone else was fighting to stay on the tower and avoid getting thrown off to the ground hundreds of feet below.

"Morrel!" shouted Veldor, and the Esper Planeswalker bounded over in his giant Etherium suit and seized Morrel in one metal hand, his other hand gripping the tilted tower surface with adhesive blue and white mana.

"What about Mizuki?" Morrel shouted over the din of the collapsing building and the roar of the black mana ocean.

Veldor glanced over. "There!" Indeed, Mizuki clung to the tower with her right hand, which she had returned to full size despite her injury. Her face tightened in effort as her talons gripped the tower, but the bricks of the tower were coming apart and Mizuki would soon lose her grip.

"Help her!" Morrel bellowed to Veldor and the Esper warrior wasted no time. Adding adhesive mana to his suit's Etherium boots, Veldor fought his way across the crumbling tower toward Mizuki, extending a hand for her to take. Mizuki reached out with her normal left hand, but then the tower reached a critical point and shattered into several pieces that crashed to the ground. Mizuki howled as she fell through empty air, plummeting to the sheer ground below.

Somewhere deep inside Morrel's gut, he felt a little node of mana clamor to his conscious like a servant who realized that he was late. Without even thinking, Morrel reached out with his hand and conjured a shield of shimmering blue-gold mana that hovered only a foot above the ground, and Mizuki fell right onto the shield and bounced slightly. She tumbled back onto the Hindering Light but relaxed, proving that Morrel's shield saved her life. Veldor landed heavily on his feet, a surge of his blue-white-black mana absorbing the shock of the landing and keeping Morrel safe.

"What about Zoira?" Veldor realized, panicking. He whipped his gaze everywhere among the chunks of tower crashing to the ground, and he breathed with relief as he found Zoira perched on top of one of her wingless dragons. The beast looked injured but it had saved its rider all the same. Maretta was nowhere in sight.

At last the rubble settled down and clouds of dust hung in the air like fog, thousands of stray bricks and columns scattered everywhere. Rohkan stood with his giant sword still in hand, watching warily as Azrael gently glided to the earth on a cushion of blue mana.

"So, you survived," Azrael noted to Rohkan, fire in his eyes. "Traitorous brute. I'll prove the error of your ways." He vanished in a flash of blue mana, re-appearing an instant later right behind Rohkan. The Vedalken couldn't even blink before Azrael's roundhouse kick smashed into his head, sending him reeling away with a new bruise. Azrael vanished again and blinked back into existence at Rohkan's blind spot, hammering the Vedalken with a barrage of hard punches, rattling Rohkan and driving him back. Rohkan swung back and Azrael vanished before the blow landed, giving Rohkan time to dispel his giant sword back into its four original blades and sheath them.

Then Azrael appeared again, seizing Rohkan by the shoulders and teleporting again. This time, he took Rohkan with him.

"Up there!" Zoira shouted, pointing high up in the sky. Morrel craned back his neck and gasped at the sight: a hundred feet into the air, Azrael and Rohkan hovered. Then, Azrael dropped his heel on Rohkan's head and sent the Vedalken on a crash-course to the ground a hundred feet below. Not wasting any time, Azrael vanished again and re-appeared right before Veldor, landing a heavy kick on Veldor's bulky armor with a _thud_.

"The Sphere shard is here! Find it!" Veldor grunted as Azrael pushed him back with more heavy kicks that shuddered Veldor's armored body. Morrel took a nervous step back, unsure what to do: Azrael was hammering away at the armored Veldor, and Rohkan was still falling and the Sphere shard wasn't even in sight. He chanced another glance in the sky, and he saw Rohkan only a few dozen feet above the ground. The Vedalken scrunched his face in concentration, gathering the last of his strength. With a flare of green and red, he Planeswalked away.

"Morrel! Come on!" Mizuki shouted, scampering among the ruins with Zoira to find the Sphere shard. Trying to ignore the one-sided brawl going on between Azrael and Veldor, Morrel hurried over to Mizuki and started sifting among the ruins, desperate to find a piece of the melon-sized Sphere. _It's quartz-like with a million colors inside. Can't be hard to find! _Morrel told himself, remembering the Sphere shard that Veldor currently held. _We got that one on Lorwyn. We can get this one too!_

"Out of my way," Azrael snarled, throwing a kick that smashed the armored Veldor to the ground. He whipped his gaze back and saw the search going on and frowned, teleporting yet again. This time, he appeared right before Zoira and sent her sprawling with a quick pair of jabs to the stomach. He stomped closer to the weakened Zoira, intending to finish her off.

"Here!" Mizuki declared, her giant right arm tossing aside a chunk of bricks and revealing the quartz shard glittering with countless colors. She quickly seized it in her right hand, beckoning for Morrel. "Quick! We've got to get away!"

"No you don't!" Azrael thundered, teleporting yet again. He warped himself to Mizuki and kicked her away, sending her crashing into rubble. Then he was gone again, this time taking Morrel by surprise with a hard blow to the head. Morrel's head rang and his vision flickered from the heavy blow, but he refused to go down.

_We didn't come all this way for nothing! _Morrel growled to himself, too fixated on the shard to contemplate Rohkan's betrayal to Azrael or anything else. Instead, he saw Mizuki stagger to her feet and swing her left hand, conjuring a cluster of black mana tentacles. The tentacles speared through the air at Azrael's back, and although Azrael quickly thrust out his palm and negated the tendrils with his blue magic, the tendrils bought Morrel time. Morrel scampered past Azrael and joined Mizuki, seizing her left hand. "Get us to Bant!"

"Get to Bant! Just follow me in the Blind Eternities!" Mizuki shouted to Zoira and Veldor as Azrael came charging in for another attack.

"Won't Azrael follow us?" Zoira called back.

"Trust me, there's a lot of guys at Bant who would help protect us!" Mizuki called back. Apparently unwilling to test the defenses at Bant, Azrael stopped short and merely glared with rage as his four foes vanished into thin air.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Hindering Light, Oblivion Ring, Stinkweed Imp, Woodwraith Strangler, Grave-Shell Scarab, Withstand, Cancel, Consume Spirit, Teleport, Tendrils of Corruption**


	26. Chapter 26

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 26**

The first thing Morrel noticed when he re-appeared in Bant was the soft, warm feeling of mid-afternoon grass under his sprawled body. The second thing he noticed was a torrent of aches and cuts that made him gasp and clench his teeth against the agony.

_Must be the... adrenaline wearing off! _Morrel realized. Adrenaline and the fear of death could easily numb a person of their pain, but once they were out of danger... _A healer sure sounds good right now. _Morrel slowly turned his aching head to Mizuki, who lay flat on her back. "H-hey. Are you okay?" he croaked.

Mizuki groaned and stirred, blinking and squinting against the sun. She shielded her face with her left hand, grimacing. "Never been better," she wheezed. "Can we just lie here for a moment? I might be sick. My head feels light, too."

"Must be the blood loss from when Rohkan sliced your cursed hand," Morrel figured, eyeing Mizuki's badly-cut right hand. He started to get to his booted feet, ignoring the flares of stress in his leg bones. He fought to keep balanced and his brain felt fuzzy. "Come on, we can find you a healer..."

At that moment, two oblong gates of mana erupted a few yards away, one a fiery red and the other dark blue and white and purple. Zoira and Veldor calmly stepped through their respective Planeswalking gates, but their expressions quickly turned to concern. "Are you guys okay?" Zoira cried, rushing over to help.

"I think Mizuki's worse off than I am," Morrel told Zoira, unsure whether that was even true. All the same, he offered Mizuki his hand and she took it, getting back to her feet.

Zoira smiled. "Well, we'll take care of that. Do you recognize this castle, Morrel?"

"Castle... oh!" Morrel fully took in his surroundings and beheld a few rows of tall, neatly-trimmed trees, a sparkling blue lake, and most importantly, the towering white-stone Akrasa Castle in the near distance. He practically stood in the castle's shadow and the castle had never looked so welcome. _I'm home! We're really in safe hands now! _As if to complete this sense of welcome, the sound of galloping paws swept across the plains and a pair of horse-sized lions clad in shiny metal armor came trotting over to Morrel's party, their mounted knights raising their swords.

"Halt! Who be you lot?" one knight demanded. His massive, rectangular shield fully covered his left flank and his leotau mount pawed the ground and huffed impatiently.

Morrel stood to his full height. "I am Morrel, battlemage of King Ledram's army and bearer of one Sigil. These three are friends of mine and mean no harm to Ledram's court. We are in great need of medical care."

"Oh," the other knight realized, lowering his sword with relief. "You're Raphael's younger brother, right? The one who embarked on a Journey of Souls?"

Morrel held back a wave of irritation at being merely "Raphael's brother." Instead, he cleared his throat and explained, "My Journey is not yet done, but the perils of my trip require medical care here."

"Ledram's caregivers always keep their doors open," the first knight said. He shifted in his saddle. "Ride as my passenger, Morrel. Your black-haired friend may ride in the other. The other two, the adults, look well enough to walk."

Double-checking with Zoira and Veldor, Morrel agreed to the plan. He first helped Mizuki mount one leotau, then saddled up in the other. The two leotau broke out into a trot back to Akrasa Castle, making sure that Veldor and Zoira could keep up.

"So, then. What's the news on the Alaran war?" Morrel couldn't help asking. The jostling gait of the leotau made his bruises burn, but he wasn't complaining.

The knight grunted. "Better than before. The Castle and its grounds are quite safe, at least. The Rhoxes can fill you in about the front lines. I'm on guard duty, so I don't see much of the other Shards or their armies."

"I suppose not," Morrel conceded.

*o*o*o*o*

"Morrel, my friend! I had no warning that you were coming back!"

"Good to see you too, old pal." Morrel accepted Yerkel's tight hug, always a little intimidated by his Rhox friends' vastly superior strength. Still, his war monk friend never used his might for evil or malice. The old friends met just outside the castle's main gates, and one full day had passed since Morrel returned home. He and Mizuki had fully healed thanks to Ledram's caregiver staff.

"And this must be your friend, the one you met just before starting your Journey," Yerkel added warmly, seeing Mizuki standing timidly nearby. He gestured with a paw. "I don't believe we've formally met, friend of Morrel."

Mizuki shifted nervously on her bare feet, glancing away at the scenery. "I don't believe so, either."

Yerkel chuckled, a deep and rough sound. "Oh, do not be so shy! I am Yerkel, a war monk of Akrasa and bearer of four Sigils. I'm sure you have many fascinating tales to tell me."

"There was a time I beat the crap out of a bothersome chatterbox," Mizuki warned, but Yerkel only chuckled again and motioned for his companions to follow him down a dirt path to his personal monastery. Along the way, they passed a water garden where another Rhox, a woman clad in white robes, knelt before a fountain deep in meditation. Morrel closed his eyes and craned his head back a little, breathing deep. The familiar scents of Bant flooded his nostrils and he suddenly longed to remain here, far from the perils of Kamigawa and Esper and other worlds. _Coming back here makes me forget that there's terror and war in other worlds, _he thought, painfully aware that the monsters of Grixis and Jund brought daily warfare to Bant's borders.

Yerkel's domed, one-room monastery came into view and he swung the rough wooden door wide open, letting his companions enter first. He closed the door behind them, his ears twitching with excitement.

"Can I get you anything? Tea? Sweets?" Yerkel offered to Mizuki, pulling out a chair for her around a circular table where Morrel now sat.

Mizuki's eyes widened as she sat. "You have tea?"

Hurrying over to his cookware, Yerkel said, "Yes, yes, of course! Many varieties grow in the gardens of Akrasa and even more elsewhere. Here..." He poured three mugs of a spicy, sweet tea and set them on the table, placing himself across the table from his visitors. He motioned. "Please, try it."

Looking both amused and irritated, Mizuki slowly lifted her large mug and drank cautiously, then made a sound of content and took another gulp. "Hmmmmm, that _is _kind of good," she admitted.

"Isn't it?" Yerkel said with what passed for a smile on a Rhox's face. Meanwhile, Morrel took a sip of his own tea and recalled how incredibly curious and open-minded Yerkel tended to be, often at odds with his fellow Rhox. _But that's what makes him a good friend, _Morrel thought.

Yerkel leaned across the table a little, making the wood creak in protest. "May I have that name, lass?"

A small grin finally crossed Mizuki's face. "I am Mizuki, native of Kamigawa."

"One of those other worlds Morrel has visited with you?" Yerkel pressed her.

"Yeah. It's mostly boring, but there's some neat parts too, like how the Kami are waging war with all the mortal races."

Yerkel's dark eyes glinted. "Amazing! And what sort of food do they have there?"

"Food?" Mizuki blinked, then a crafty grin started to spread on her face. "I should have figured. You only think with your stomach. I mean, just look at you."

"I may be big, yes," Yerkel admitted reluctantly. "But really, do they have ritual combat like us Bant folk? Do the angels grace your land?"

Mizuki snorted. "We don't need dumb pigeon-winged women to make our lives worth living."

Now Yerkel snorted, and not for the same reason as Mizuki. "The angels are our guiding light, Mizuki! If you please..."

"Sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive," Mizuki smiled. "And here I thought you had _thick skin_."

Yerkel glanced at his thick-hided paws and blanched. "Do you mock me?"

"Guess."

"Mizuki...!"

"I'm surprised you haven't charged at me in a berserker rage by now. Did the angels bless that urge out of you?"

Yerkel bolted to his feet. "L-let me show you Rhox scholarly pursuits," he squawked, shuffling through the contents of his desk.

Morrel leaned closer to Mizuki. "Hey, he's just being himself, you know."

"Yeah, but it's so fun to test people I don't know," Mizuki whispered back. "Like how I did with you."

"Oh. Yeah," Morrel winced, remembering many accidentally-on-purpose erotic scenes with Mizuki and her constant questioning of Morrel's battlemage values. "So what do you make of him so far?"

The Kamigawa Planeswalker shrugged. "Dedicated, introspective, pious."

"That's what the locals often say about Rhoxes," Morrel added. "You have quite the perception."

"Thanks."

"But Mizuki..."

"Yeah?"

"Please don't harass him."

"Fine, fine..."

Yerkel spread a number of parchment documents across the table, pointing at each one in turn. "Rules of warfare, tournament rules, prayers to the angels, crime and punishment rules, lists of native flora and fauna and their purposes..."

Making a face, Mizuki pushed the papers away. "You said 'rules' three times. Ugh. I don't like Rhox life."

Yerkel's ears fell. "But..." then he stiffened, ears flaring back up again. "Very well. Then what would you rather look at?"

"You should try out _my _life," Mizuki insisted. She got up and borrowed one of Yerkel's aven-feather quills and started drawing a series of small squiggly pictures across the blank backside of a document. "One of my favorite childhood stories, right here."

Both Morrel and Yerkel squinted at the pictures. "You're just drawing. Where's the story?" Morrel asked, confused.

"This _is _the story. A really brief version," Mizuki answered tightly, still scribbling away. "Can't you read... oh." Then, she stifled a giggle and set down the quill. "My people use a different writing system than you, using these characters. Technically, it's a combination of three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. My handwriting is a little sloppy, though, sorry about that..."

Yerkel picked up the paper and scanned the otherworldly writing with excited eyes. "Amazing! I must keep this to study it. If you would be so inclined, Mizuki, could you make a reference table for what the different symbols mean?"

Mizuki shrugged. "Sorry. Too lazy."

Undeterred, Yerkel placed the paper on his desk. "Then that will make it only a greater challenge to overcome!"

At that moment, the door to Yerkel's monastery swung open and both Veldor and Zoira came tromping in.

"This is a private monastery!" Yerkel objected, puffing out his chest.

"Sorry," Zoira winced. "But I wanted to see Morrel and Mizuki for a second."

Morrel stood. "How did you know we were here?"

"I could pick up your scents," Zoira said mysteriously, even though both Morrel and Mizuki had bathed yesterday and washed away the noxious grime of battle. "Anyway, Veldor and I arranged a plan for our next move against Azrael. This'll be our last night here for now. Get some rest, kids. We have more adventuring ahead of us!"

Veldor tapped Zoira on the shoulder. "Do you have to put it that way?" he questioned.

Zoira rounded on him, hands on her hips. "Of course, dear Veldor! That makes it sound more exciting, which it is!"

"But that makes it sound like you don't take this seriously," Veldor insisted, although he started to go red.

"Oh, I take it seriously enough. You've been with me a while. You ought to know that," Zoira encouraged him.

"Yes, yes I have," Veldor nodded, suddenly looking abashed. "Anyway, good day, Morrel, Mizuki."

They both departed again, leaving the threesome alone again.

"May I have a translation table?" Yerkel asked Mizuki again.

"No, sorry," she smiled back.

*o*o*o*o*

Familiar constellations slowly roved along the night sky overhead as Morrel lay flat on his back on a cool, grassy hill with his head resting on his hands. Although the night air was a little chilly, Morrel didn't mind at all. He had experienced more than enough fire and chaos on his Journey of Souls, and he had forgotten the simple pleasure of lazing about. As an old Rhox saying went, enlightenment most often struck a relaxed, uncluttered mind. The only light came from the stars overhead and scattered lights from the halls of the Akrasa Castle. Morrel shifted a little in place, wondering if he ought to spend the night out here or return to the castle to his chambers. _I wonder where Raphael is? He certainly isn't here at home. I had hoped to meet him again..._

"Sometimes, you're as hard to find as I am," joked a familiar voice as Mizuki came walking over the hilltop and toward Morrel, her bare feet shuffling gently in the grass. Morrel couldn't see her well from here but her dark outline against the starry backdrop made her presence clear.

"Sorry. I just wanted a night out, even though I'm at home. Funny, isn't it?"

"Kinda." Mizuki came closer and settled down, sitting cross-legged for a second. Then, she decided against it and lay down completely on Morrel's left side. She too stared up at the sky, then muttered, "I bet you enjoy this. Some time for meditation, or whatever."

"As an old Rhox saying goes, enlightenment most often... whatever. You wouldn't listen anyway, would you?" Morrel cracked a grin.

"Probably not," Mizuki admitted with a quick laugh. "But still, it's nice out here. Nicer than most places I've been."

Curiosity bubbled in Morrel's gut. "I don't think you've really told me what adventures you had after the Kami attack. Didn't you live on your own as a nomadic rogue?"

"Yeah. I drifted from one adoptive household to another, not to mention orphanages," Mizuki commented. "But that's old stuff, and I'm much more interested in the now. Bant's a boring place... but there's some nice stuff to it too."

"Like?"

"Well, the Akrasa Castle is one of the most impressive forts I've seen," Mizuki elaborated. "And the gardens... mmmmmmm! I've seen bonsai collections and water gardens back in Kamigawa, but this place has my homeland beat. Bant's one of the lovelier places I've been to."

Morrel couldn't help it. "Is there anything else from Bant you've grown to appreciate?" He instantly wondered if he overstepped it. _What am I doing? _He wondered, grateful for the darkness to hide his sudden blush.

"Well, Yerkel is weird but nice, and the caregivers here know their stuff," Mizuki said slowly. "This is the second time we've benefited from them. But enough about that! I was thinking..." She scooted a little closer to Morrel, poking his leg with her toe. "There's you, too."

"Me, huh?" Morrel's heart started to hammer.

"Yeah," Mizuki added, her voice gentle. "I realized something lately, you know. We've made an odd pair. We sometimes argue, we used to fight, and we'll probably split ways once this whole affair with Azrael and the Sphere of Ages is done. But whatever hell we've been through, you've stuck with me more than anyone else would have." She ran a hand along Morrel's arm, squeezing delicately at the shoulder. "I've missed having a close companion, you know, and I've gotten a greater feeling of acceptance from you than I ever hoped for."

Morrel turned his head to face her, trying not to fidget. "Of course. I trust you as a friend, and I can be stubborn like you'd never believe."

"Oh, I've seen that stubbornness at work," Mizuki laughed. "But really... thank you, Morrel. Having a friend, being in a relationship means having a high level of acceptance between us both. I'm... I'm really happy that you appreciate me. More than I can say."

_Have I touched her heart? _Morrel wondered, his mind suddenly racing. _Think! What do I say next? What do I do? Um..._

Mizuki closed her eyes and sighed as she nestled closer to Morrel, poking him again with her foot. "Come on, do you have anything to say?"

Getting an idea, Morrel sat up and removed his voluminous battlemage cloak, then spread it over the grass like a blanket. He and Mizuki settled back down onto it, and he reached over and ran a hand through her soft, dark hair. "I was thinking of going back inside soon, but I changed my mind," he told her. "Why don't we stay out here a while, where it's just us? I'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Mizuki nestled against Morrel again, wrapping her arm around him and making a sound of content. "Yeah, I'd like that. Nighty-night."

Morrel could feel Mizuki's warm body against his and decided that he liked the sensation very much. He ran his hand over her draped arm and closed his eyes again. "See you in the morning."

*o*o*o*o*

Veldor didn't care much for food, but Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira fueled up on the finest culinary work of King Ledram's kitchen staff while Veldor wandered about the castle grounds on some errand. When the party met outside with only Rhox monasteries and overhead aven for company, Veldor outlined his plan.

"We now own two of the four Sphere of Ages shards, and they must be safeguarded against Azrael and any and all minions he has," the Esper artificer explained as a warm Bant wind ruffled his brown hair. He rubbed his flesh and Etherium hands together. "I created a small underground cache here in the Akrasa Kingdom and placed the two Sphere shards inside, enchanting the cache to make it nearly impossible to find. This way, we have little fear of losing our shards while we hunt the others down. Currently, Azrael owns the shard found on Kamigawa and the fourth remains unclaimed by any party... as far as I know."

"But," Zoira added, "I've been doing a lot of scouting and it's likely that a Sphere shard is on my home plane of Zendikar. I'm going to look there again while you three go on a side mission."

Confusion writhed in Morrel's gut. "What would that be?"

"I've tracked down Azrael's minion Maretta across the Multiverse," Veldor stated. "I easily pinpointed the Plane she went to, but not her exact location there. Still, she is a loose end I wish to tie up sooner than later. Morrel, Mizuki, you both will go with me to take her out. My Etherium protects me from her body-controlling Whip of Thegns, while Zoira's summon-heavy strategy is poorly suited to fight Maretta."

"You don't have to rub it in," Zoira pouted with a mock frown.

"I was only saying it as it is," Veldor defended himself quickly. "I-I didn't mean to bother you..."

"Nor did you. I'd rather go back home to Zendikar anyway," Zoira smiled, "despite some strange activity going on there. The hedrons are really acting up and there's a strange omen in the wind. Something really bad is going to happen, and I want to find that Sphere shard before it happens."

Veldor nodded. "Then I will see you much later." Then, to everyone's surprise, he took a step forward and took hold of Zoira's upper arms and looked the elf woman in the eyes. "And please, be safe."

Zoira blushed. "O-of course. Same to you." As Veldor let her go, Zoira backed up and vanished with a burst of red light.

Mizuki pounced on her chance. "Hey, Veldor. Do you have a crush on Zoira?" she prodded with a knowing smirk.

"Well, you see, business to attend to," Veldor changed topics in his usual awkward mutter. He motioned. "Mizuki, must compensate for your erratic Planeswalking. I will guide you to the destination Plane, but you 'walk in there first and I follow wherever you go. I am precise, unlike yourself."

"No offense taken," Mizuki replied simply, but her eyes clearly said "No offense taken, _jerk_." All the same, she extended a hand that Morrel took as she prepared to Planeswalk. "So where are we going?"

"A dark Plane few visit," Veldor told her as he tensed his body to Planeswalk. "Our next stop: Innistrad."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Plains (Michael Komarck), Sigiled Paladin, Rhox War Monk, Rhox Meditant**


	27. Chapter 27

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 27**

Zoira could immediately tell that she did not like the scent on the wind or the chill of death in the wind when she Planeswalked back to Zendikar.

_Spirits, what is this? _The elf woman fought back a wave of panic, dropping to one knee and clapping one hand to her mouth, coughing against the bitter particles that choked the air. Blinking back irritated tears, Zoira got her bearing straight. _I'm on a cliff overlooking a wide flat plain where several ancient pyramids are. _She slowly got to her feet on the rough rocky cliff and turned to behold a sight that was not welcome: a large, godly creature laying waste to everything around it.

Towering over the huge, slate-colored pyramids loomed a _something_, a faceless monster that propped its hairless body up on a mass of sickly orange tentacles that writhed like angry snakes. Two thick humanoid arms sprouted from the monster's shoulders, wildly swinging this way and that, tearing gouges out of the pyramids and blasting shards of stone everywhere. Apparently the creature was already doing this when Zoira arrived; the grassy plains around the creature now lay barren, gray, and ashy, and the pyramids crumbled one by one as Zoira watched, transfixed.

_How... how is this possible? _Zoira's stunned mind wondered blankly. She fell to her knees again, her legs feeling like jelly. _Is this creature the presence that has had my home Plane so riled up? Is this the herald of the end of days?_

She was proven wrong again, however, when she heard a distant howl, a sound that vibrated in Zoira's soul with a haunting resonance. Snapping her eyes to the southwest, Zoira saw another titanic beast, this one walking on two thick legs and sporting an eyeless, sea sponge-like face. It ambled through a forest in the distance, vaporizing swaths of ancient trees with every swing of its paws.

Zoira swallowed and slowly got to her knees again, her stomach churning. _There's more than one of them. But not even an army of these things will stop me. I'll find a way to save Zendikar... and find that Sphere fragment. No one will die anywhere if I can help it! _With that, she nimbly leaped down a steep slope on the cliff's other side, seeking out a Kor camp to find a hang glider. _I have to travel far and fast._

*o*o*o*o*

Cool, damp air wafted across Morrel's face when he regained consciousness, and a quick glance around the place confirmed it: Mizuki had, yet again, Planeswalked him to a water source.

"Have you noticed that you often Planeswalk us near water?" Morrel asked Mizuki with a faint grin.

"Is that so?" Mizuki wondered, scrunching her face in wonder and scratching her head. She shivered.

"First the Takenuma Swamp, then a sewer in Tidehollow, and then that aqueduct in Ravnica," Morrel summarized. "Personal preference?"

Mizuki folded her arms. "Come on, you know how it works. My Kami curse disrupts my Spark and makes it hard to control where I arrive in a Plane." Then she broke out in a grin, punching Morrel lightly on the arm. "But yeah, you have a point." Her face fell. "But I've never 'walked us to a place like _this_."

Also shivering slightly against the cold, Morrel had to agree. He and Mizuki stood on a wooden pier with dark ocean water lapping against the support beams and the nearby sandy shore. A huge, nearly-full moon glowed softly high overhead, partly obscured by misty dark clouds that stretched across the sky. Across the beach lay a sprawling city, its austere structures rising high into the sky. Thousands of lighted windows brought the city to life, encouraging Morrel. _At least there's a lot of people around to guide us, _he thought. _I don't even know where to start with this place! Is all of Innistrad like this?_

From a swirling vortex of blue, white, and dark purple mana emerged the Etherium-enhanced Veldor, who didn't shiver against the chilly ocean wind. He looked around. "Havengul. Not bad," he commented to Mizuki. "Good source of information."

"I-is that the city's n-name?" Mizuki asked, chattering her teeth.

"It is," Veldor answered, motioning with his Etherium left hand. "Havengul is also a good source of necromancy and hauntings, plus skaab-stitching and shady marketing. Watch yourselves. Not a friendly place."

"Well, _that _sounds lovely," Mizuki complained, her whole body quivering. "Why the h-hell is it so cold here?"

Veldor shrugged. "Innistrad is cold Plane. Can buy warmer clothing. Follow."

He strode across the pier, his boots clomping against the damp wood. Morrel shrugged off his thick white cloak and draped it over Mizuki's shoulders. "You must be freezing," Morrel told her.

"Thanks," Mizuki said warmly, slipping her arms through the sleeves of the cloak. She drew the cloak around her. "Wow, this thing's warm. But aren't you cold now?"

"I can manage," Morrel told her, taking her hand and leading her after the fast-paced Veldor. He shivered slightly, clad in a long-sleeved white shirt and thin leather vest. "I won't let a lady be in discomfort."

"How chivalrous," Mizuki commented with a stifled giggle. She looked across the ocean again and stopped. "Whoa!"

Morrel's gut clenched. "What is it?" He whirled to face whatever Mizuki saw, letting Veldor get even further ahead. Down the shore lay dozens of tall tombstones, crooked from the tides and rough coastal rock. A strange symbol adorned most of the tombstone, a circle with two curved points on the top. Floating in the dark, icy water behind the graveyard floated a seemingly derelict ship, its sails tattered and fluttering in the wind like the cloak of a ghoul. Loose wood split from the ship's frame like broken bones, and the whole ship/graveyard scene was bathed in the ghostly light of the giant moon. "Okay, I really don't like Innistrad that much," Morrel joked nervously.

"I've seen worse," Mizuki said, but she didn't sound entirely convinced. "You should see Ulgrotha."

"I get the feeling I shouldn't," Morrel grinned, leading Mizuki onward again to catch up with Veldor. The Esper artificer stood before Havengul's main gates, his mismatched arms folded.

"Shouldn't lag," he warned them. "Business to settle. Can't delay."

"Sorry, just seeing the sights," Morrel panted; he and Mizuki had dashed to catch up. "There's a ship graveyard over there."

Veldor glanced at the shipwreck. "Common sight in Nephalia."

"What?" Mizuki asked.

Veldor blinked. "This is Nephalia, a province of Innistrad. One of four. Skaabs and ghouls common here, plus madmen and Stromkirk wanderers. Stensia province is slightly nastier, though. Hate vampires."

"You've been here before, Veldor?" Morrel asked curiously as the three of them entered Nephalia's front gates, the guards watching them warily. The crowds here were thick but moved briskly through the wide, brick streets. Large lamps provided light at every turn.

Veldor nodded. "Have been to Innistrad before, along with all other Planes you've visited. And many more. Zendikar is quite wild. Don't like it that much, but Zoira does."

"I get the impression you've been to many Planes," Morrel noted as he passed by a tavern. He decided that despite the streetlamps, there were far too many shadows in this city. The hairs on the back of his neck stood.

"Would be faster to list the Planes I _haven't _been to in the Multiverse," Veldor commented. "Anyway. Here. Clothes."

Mizuki read the shop's name aloud: "Madam Esgar's Clothing Shoppe. Sounds... kinda classy."

Veldor motioned. "Get warmer clothes, Mizuki. Cold here in Nephalia. Innistrad as a whole is a chilly Plane."

Mizuki smiled back as she pushed the door to the shop open, giving Morrel his battlemage cloak back. "You could do with fancier clothes too, Veldor. How else will you get Zoira to like you?"

"Not relevant," Veldor mumbled, looking away as he turned red. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his bristly brown hair. "Hurry up."

Ten minutes later Mizuki returned, clad in a fur jacket over her short-sleeved shirt and traveler's boots on her feet. Her white trousers were rolled down to her ankles, as opposed to rolled up to the knee like usual. "How about this?"

"Not bad," Morrel nodded. "None of us will attract special attention, except maybe for Veldor's Etherium arm."

Veldor considered this, examining his bronze-colored left hand. "Fine point." He wandered into the shop and came back a moment later with a coat and leather gloves. "Let us proceed."

The more Morrel ventured through Nephalia's lively streets with his companions, the more chills he felt in his spine. Many dimly-lit taverns and shops passed by, some with strange scents and sounds coming from within, and a few apartments had boarded-up windows and barriers placed before their doorways. In fact, floating before one abandoned shop was a spirit clad in long, tattered robes, its face hidden under its hood. Numerous chains melded into the ghost's cloak with lanterns attached to the chains' loose ends. The ghost made not a sound, drifting against the wind and watching over all passerbys from under its faceless hood.

"What is _that_? No one's even reacting to it!" Morrel yelped, pointing at the ghost.

Veldor barely spared a glance at it. "A voiceless spirit, common here and in the Gavony province. Not an aggressive entity, but fierce if its territory is invaded. Never makes a sound."

"Weird," Mizuki muttered.

"This from the girl who lives in a Plane crawling with spirits?" Morrel elbowed her.

Mizuki smiled nervously. "True, but this place is just _different_. Trust me, if it weren't for the Sphere fragment here, I'd never visit this Innistrad place. Defeating Azrael as an act of kindness had better cure me of my Kami curse..."

Morrel squeezed her shoulder. "I bet it will. There's no act greater than risking your life for millions of others. We're going to do a great thing. In fact – yikes!"

Feeling his nerves surge with chilly fright, Morrel jumped as a figure rushed past, its clothes rustling against him. Morrel's jaw dropped at the sight. This man had invisible flesh, his clothes hovering in place and moving as he did.

"Now _that_'s creepy," Mizuki blanched. "He's invisible!"

Veldor nodded. "An invisible stalker. Often used as scouts and messengers. Near-impossible to kill one. Not sure if they are human, monster, or both."

Havengul had more surprises in store as Veldor led Morrel and Mizuki through its streets. A ghostly blue heron swooped overhead, filling the air with its haunting song. More voiceless spirits appeared here and there, and Morrel started to see particular people clad in body armor and white robes, carrying swords and what appeared to be holy relics.

"Who are they?" Morrel asked Veldor as one such person strode past him. _That man moves with such conviction and pride and discipline. Bant could use such a one as him._

"Cathars, warrior-monks who fight for the Church of Avacyn," Veldor stated. "The people of Innistrad look to the Archangel Avacyn for protection. Lately she has vanished, leaving people vulnerable. Still, her cathars and other servants fight on to defend humanity from the lurking horrors."

Morrel's gut squirmed. _That's almost exactly like Bant! _"I've got to meet some of these people. Is this a monastery of theirs?" he asked as a large, light-colored stone building came into view. A closed pair of wooden doors sported the spiked circle pattern Morrel had seen on the graveyard's tombstones, and a pair of tapering towers at the building's highest level rose gracefully into the misty sky. Tall windows glowed from candlelight from within.

"Strictly speaking, this is a _church_ of Avacyn," Veldor said, stopping before the church's doors. An unusually curious expression crossed his normally stoic face. "Cathers and church priests travel far and wide. Could be good source of information. Maretta's presence would not be missed by the church."

Sharing Veldor's enthusiasm, Morrel tried the heavy double doors and found them unlocked, so he pushed them open and the doors glided inward on well-oiled hinges. As he and Mizuki and Veldor wandered in, Morrel beheld numerous ornate pews, racks with silver swords and staffs, and more than one side-chamber for private prayer and reading of church texts. A few lightly-armored cathars carrying swords and small maces wandered about and a few brown-robed priests gave counsel to Havengul townsfolk who had come inside earlier. Rows of tall, white candles fill the church with a warm glow.

Deciding to start somewhere, Morrel approached one cathar who was sitting at a wide table, his head bowed and something clutched in his hand. His sword lay propped against the wall nearby and the sword had the spiked circle symbol at the end of its hilt. Taking a deep breath, Morrel approached the man and asked, "Pardon me. May I take a little bit of your time?"

The man raised his head and stood. "Good evening," he stated.

"I wasn't interrupting something, was I?"

"No, I was finished giving my prayer to the vanished archangel," the cathar said simply, picking up his sword and sheathing it. "Did you need something? I am eager to help those in need against the darkness."

"I wondered if anything unusual has been sighted recently," Morrel asked, then realized something and added, "More so than usual. Something you've never seen before, something almost _otherworldly_?"

The cathar's eyes widened. "Yes, in fact. I recently came back here from Kessig to report strange werewolf activity. Those werewolves seem to be gravitating to something, like they're being called by somebody. Now, those werewolves like to travel in packs sometimes, but never like this." His tone darkened. "If there's some powerful werewolf lord out there, we're all really in trouble. Those wolves are moving with a purpose, and it started abruptly only a day or two ago. This news is fresh and very important for the church's officials to hear."

_That's got to be Maretta! She must be gathering the werewolves with her Whip of Thegns, and I'll bet she wants to crush me with her wolf pals. _Morrel resisted a shiver; rumors of wolf-men circulated around Bant's small town provinces, but he had never actually seen such a thing. "Thank you. I have business slaying the darkest dangers of the world and this news is most intriguing."

"And I am going to take a ship to Gavony in the morning," the cathar added. "I stopped here for supplies and rest, but there can be no true rest for those who resist evil."

"Absolutely," Morrel agreed, heartened by the presence of this church and its cathars.

The cathar considered Morrel with his brown eyes. "You know, you might make a fine recruit yourself. Ever think of heading to Thraben to join up? Gavony's capital could use one like you."

Morrel backed up a step. "I may consider that, but my party wishes to go on. It has been a pleasure." _That really didn't take long. Veldor was right; this church really does know what's what on Innistrad! But actually fighting Maretta will be hellish. I don't know what kind of place the Kessig province is, but if there's werewolves, it'll be a real test._

"Yes, I see," Veldor commented when Morrel relayed his findings to him near the church's front door. His gloved hands flexed. "Then we will take a ship to Kessig first thing in the morning. Not many ships go there, but if we are lucky, a ship or two will be headed there tomorrow or the day after."

"Are you sure we can handle werewolves?" Morrel asked nervously.

Veldor glanced around the church's warm interior. "Kessig is not that bad. If you know what you're doing, that is. Where's Mizuki?"

"I, uh... oh." Morrel realized that she had vanished, but a flash of movement along the church's rafters caught his attention. Silent as a specter, Mizuki pranced along the church's rafters and support beams, once again barefoot and with her pants rolled up to her knees. Her right hand had its curse manifested and the talons clung to the church's walls, letting Mizuki slowly work her day down without anyone seeing her.

_What is she doing? _Morrel wondered, unable to help a twinge of envy at Mizuki's stealth and maneuverability, especially with her giant cursed arm. She crept further down the wall and into the shadows, reaching out for a table laden with church possessions. _Wait... don't! _Morrel thought, but he could do nothing as Mizuki snapped her left arm out like a snake. She skittered back up the wall and leaped from one rafter to another, finally dropping to the floor near the church's door. She landed behind Veldor and Morrel for cover, pocketing something while rolling her pants back down and slipping her recently-purchased boots back on.

Exasperated, Morrel led the party back out the Havengul's crowded streets and drifted close to Mizuki. "So, what were you doing in there? I get the feeling you weren't praying to the angel."

Mizuki's face broke into a wide smile as she brought out a metal object from her pocket. It was the spike-circle that the church often sported, about five inches wide. "I got this. There were several, so that church won't mind."

"But you're still stealing... argh," Morrel slumped his shoulders, wondering if Mizuki would ever listen to his warnings. "At least tell me that no one really saw you."

"No way," Mizuki shook her head. "You know that I'm a master thief! It's been a while since I had a good sneak. After all, I bet this thing will have holy powers against any monsters we fight. Right?"

"True, many priests have blessed objects to fight monsters with," Morrel agreed. "But you could have asked them for it instead."

The Kamigawa Planeswalker considered it. "No, this is more fun," she laughed, pocketing her gain as the group walked down a descending road toward the outskirts of Havengul. A tall, pale man in red and black regalia strode confidently past, his red eyes and slicked black hair impressive.

"A Stromkirk vampire," Veldor said suddenly.

"What?" Morrel blinked.

"That man just now. The Stromkirk vampires walk among humans like a responsible king walks among his subjects. Disguises keep them safe from attack."

Morrel shivered. "Already we have ghosts, vampires, and talk of werewolves. What a place."

"Well, I have something to cheer us up," Mizuki offered brightly. She got out her capsule and fed a little mana into it, conjuring her petite homunculus friend, Sora. She knelt by Sora and told him, "Okay, let's look around the creepy Nephalia city a little, okay?"

"What, are you taking him for a walk?" Morrel frowned as Sora trotted off and Mizuki followed along.

"Well, it's been a while since I've let him out," Mizuki defended herself. "We can still make our way to an inn from here, right?"

Veldor took a quick look around. "Yes. Must go forward. Fastest way," he said in his usual clipped tone, taking the lead. "Shortcut goes past a graveyard. Watch yourself."

Deciding that he didn't really like Veldor's idea of shortcuts, Morrel nonetheless tagged along with his three other companions, and the ground sloped downward and became grassier. In short order, the wrought-iron fence of a graveyard came into view, with a number of tombstones in various states of repair appearing a few seconds later. All around Morrel was wide open space, the nearest Havengul buildings being several city blocks away. Another well-lit section of the city came into view up ahead, giving Morrel encouragement.

Morrel had only a second's warning before he lunged, tackling Mizuki to the dirt road. "Duck!"

"What -" Mizuki sputtered in alarm, and a large, winged form whooshed overhead with outstretched talons, missing Morrel and Mizuki by mere inches. Veldor, aided by his Etherium-boosted senses, had leaped clear and extended the sword blade on his metal left arm. Both of his gloves lay on the dirt by his feet.

"What was that?" Mizuki sputtered, starting to get to her feet. Illuminated by the large, eerie moon, a huge drake now hovered over the graveyard, pumping its leathery wings to stay aloft. Then, it chuckled.

"You lot are stranger than the usual travelers here in Havengul," remarked a humanoid voice. Squinting in the twilight, Morrel realized that a figure stood on the drake's back and addressed everyone.

"Who are you?" Morrel demanded. "We have no quarrel with you!"

"Watch out behind," th figure warned, and Morrel yelped as something smashed against his back and sent him sprawling a dozen feet forward. His body surging with adrenaline, Morrel scrambled to his feet as Mizuki did the same, and he realized that a second monster had appeared behind him. The beast had a huge humanoid torso held up by four mismatched legs, and two thick, unusually long arms stretched from the monster's wide shoulders. From the elbow onwards, the monster's left arm consisted of a giant rusty blade. The monster's head snarled and snapped, its reptilian features lending it an air of menace.

Veldor hurried to Morrel's side. "Mizuki, unsummon Sora to keep him safe," he called over to Mizuki. "This is a skaab we're facing. A monster born from dead body parts stitched together and given life."

The four-legged skaab skittered forward on its mismatched legs, grunting in hunger for living flesh. With a huff, it swung its two long arms through the air, much faster than Morrel expected. He ducked the monster's blade arm only narrowly, feeling the wind from the blow. Then the beast slashed its arms again, and Morrel barely had time to raise his arms in defense before he took a heavy blow from the beast's right arm. Morrel reeled from the blow, his arms aching.

The drake lifted itself a little higher. "Why don't you give me that homunculus, girl?" the figure offered in an oily voice. "It's like none I've ever seen before! Give me yourself, too. I can sense a wonderful curse in your right arm. My master would love to study it!"

"_This_ curse?" Mizuki snarled, growing her right arm to full size and jabbing its pointing finger at the drake. A sizzling lance of black mana issued from the talon at the drake, which twisted and flapped its wings, letting the lance slice through empty air.

Morrel started to form a plan to deal with these two foes, but the arrival of a third one changed that. A towering skaab, at least three times Morrel's height, stomped its way up from over a hill, only vaguely humanoid. Two arms sprouted from the towering skaab's right shoulder and an even bigger arm came from its left. Smaller arms branched off from the skaab's three main ones, and some of these extra arms even had heads growing from them. Morrel couldn't guess how many bodies had been sewn together to create this abomination, but he knew one thing for sure.

"Don't hold back! Destroy them!" Morrel encouraged the others as the two skaabs approached, reaching out with their various arms.

"Already working on it," Mizuki commented wryly. The goliath skaab took a swing at Mizuki with its various arms, filling the air with its clawed fingers. Mizuki pranced out of the way and swept her cursed talons at the goliath's left leg, tearing into its flesh like knives. The skaab ignored the blow and swung its three meaty fists again, this time catching Mizuki on the shoulder and blasting her away. Mizuki yelped in shock as she tumbled to the ground toward the graveyard, only halting when she dug her talons into the earth to brake herself. She shakily got to her feet.

_These things hit hard! _Morrel realized grimly. Before him, the four-legged skaab started pulsing, the muscles writhing and shifting under its stitched-together skin. Veldor backed up a step, frowning. "Adjusting muscle mass," he figured. "Using reserve muscle stored in torso to augment limbs. Careful, Morrel."

"No kidding!" Morrel remarked as the skaab slashed its long arms through the air again, even faster this time. He backed away from one blow and Veldor slipped into the skaab's blind spot. Veldor jabbed his left arm's blade into the skaab's torso, carving out chunks of its flesh. The skaab screeched wetly as fetid flesh slopped out of the gaping wound, but then the skaab kicked Veldor back with one of its legs, jolting the Esper warrior. Then, its brawny right arm punched into Veldor's gut with a heavy _thump_, sending Veldor crashing to the ground several yards away.

Not satisfied with one blow, the wounded skaab lurched unevenly after Morrel like a crab, repeatedly swinging its claws and blade at him. Knowing better than to try and redirect the skaab's strong blows, Morrel twisted and dodged the attacks as they came, but he found no opening in the monster's defenses. _It moves too fast An undead beast like this doesn't tire or feel fear or pain. _Then, an idea struck him. Morrel ducked one blow and backed up, letting the skaab advance on him. Then, he planted his feet firmly on the ground and stretched out his hands, white mana flooding from his fingers. A wide ring of ethereal mana popped into existence on the skaab's left shoulder, banishing its bladed arm from existence. The skaab howled and squirmed, confused.

"Very clever," Veldor called out as he got to his feet, but the skaab recovered faster than Morrel expected. The skaab shrieked and pounced at Morrel, its right arm a blur through the air. Morrel's vision flashed as the skaab's huge right fist exploded on his head, shattering both his glasses and his nose. Clenching his jaw to resist a shout of agony, Morrel let himself crumple to the grass, blood leaking on his face and his vision blurry. _Damn this thing!_

*o*o*o*o*

Mizuki saw Morrel go down but knew that she could do little from here. Instead, she turned to face the goliath skaab as it approached, the skaab reaching out with its three arms to take Mizuki apart. Making sure that Sora was out of the way, Mizuki bared her teeth and swept her left hand through the air, straining to pour as much black mana into the motion as she could. Dozens of sharp tentacles of black mana erupted from the ground, all of them spearing the goliath skaab from head to toe. The goliath skaab reeled from the blows but merely grunted from the assault. The tendrils fizzled away and the skaab, despite its many puncture holes, lumbered forth to attack.

_I forgot. This thing is undead. It doesn't bleed or feel pain! _Mizuki's mind raced. Panic clenched in her gut and her breathing grew heavier. Her right arm's fearsome talons suddenly seemed puny. _What am I supposed to do?_

The goliath skaab rumbled and approached Mizuki with long strides, slashing its many fists through the air. Mizuki ducked and leaped out of the way, her nimble feet moving her to the skaab's blind spot. Getting a sudden idea, Mizuki produced her church relic and pressed it to the goliath's leg. At once, the skaab's flesh began to burn and sizzle as though branded, and the Avacyn relic burned deeper into the skaab's fetid leg. The goliath squirmed from the assault but still reached out with its many limbs to take Mizuki apart. Mizuki pranced to the goliath's other side, pocketing her relic and releasing a beam of black mana. The mana lance pierced one of the goliath skaab's smaller limbs, searing the limb at the base and melting it off. The undead arm fell to the earth with a thump, and the goliath paused, confused.

Mizuki backed up a few steps, knowing that her foe was far from fallen. The goliath skaab turned to face her, moaning deeply from its throat. _I fear this may be a long night, _Mizuki lamented.

*o*o*o*o*

Veldor knew that he had to keep the four-legged skaab from approaching the downed Morrel, but his best weapon, his poison darts, would do no good against a zombie like this. Instead, he tried a different tactic: the bladed disks in his Etherium arm. The circular weapons flashed through the air after the skaab like falcons, tearing gashes in the monster's flesh as they passed. The skaab paused, hissing in surprise. Then, the disks curved in mid-flight and darted back, once again tearing into the skaab until they settled back in Veldor's arm.

"Now that I have your attention, we can begin," Veldor told the monster. The skaab howled and charged on its four legs, galloping like a sickly horse. With only one limb, however, the skaab's assault left a lot of openings. Easily dodging the skaab's one-armed attacks, Veldor slipped into the skaab's guard and carved out chunks of its undead body with his Etherium blade, robbing the skaab of its source of power: flesh. Furious, the skaab lashed out with its legs, trying to kick Veldor away. Already experienced with the kick attacks, Veldor dodged the kicks and punched his blade deep into the skaab, shearing its collection of muscles apart from the inside.

The skaab had had enough. From inside its chest sprouted another thick arm, this one with long black talons on its fingers. The new arm jabbed into Veldor's armored chest, the arm's talons piercing Veldor's armor and into his chest. Veldor stumbled back, bleeding and confused from the sudden attack. The skaab's right arm knocked him aside, then the skaab lashed out with its huge jaws to bite his head off.

A blue and gold shield materialized between the skaab's jaws and Veldor, and the skaab's head bounced off the shield. Confused, the skaab reeled back from the shield and rumbled in its throat, unsure whether to strike again.

"Very good, Morrel," Veldor said simply, seeing his Bant friend reaching out to conjure the Hindering Light from afar. He tensed, focusing his blue, black, and white mana. "Must not hold back any longer. Will summon Etherium armor suit and crush this undead vermin."

"Not so fast. I've had enough," declared the figure on the drake. He shouted a strange word and then both skaabs exhaled clouds of gas that flooded the battlefield. Morrel choked against the foul vapors, his head going light. Veldor blanched, feeling his mana churning and crumbling from the gas's noxious effects. Mizuki fell to her hands and knees, coughing and her eyes welling with tears.

The drake swooped down on Mizuki and Sora, its talons outstretched. With one deft movement, the drake scooped up the fazed Mizuki and Sora, clutching them tightly as it lifted itself higher into the air. "I like this homunculus and that cursed arm," the drake's shadowy rider purred. "Master Ludevic will have a lot of fun with them! Farewell."

"N-no! Wait..." Morrel tried to yell, but his head spun and his lungs felt empty. He trembled and fell to his knees, barely able to tell what was happening. Mizuki's shouts for help made things clearer, though.

"Come on. We can't win here," Veldor told Morrel sternly as the drake took flight, soaring off into the misty, moonlit night. Morrel stretched out his hand, trying to conjure the mana to vaporize the drake with a ring of oblivion. The mana felt thick and slow in his body, however, and he lowered his leaden arm in defeat.

The two skaabs huffed and scampered off into the night, losing interest in both Morrel and Veldor. A second later, the oblivion ring on the four-legged skaab's shoulder vanished. Veldor crept across the grass, searching for the pieces of Morrel's glasses. "Don't give up," he told Morrel. "I can repair your glasses. Oh, and everyone knows where Ludevic's castle is. It's dangerous, but we can get there to rescue Mizuki and Sora. But must recover first. For at least a few hours."

Morrel pounded a fist on the grassy ground, his head throbbing and vision blurry. "Every minute we wait is a minute that Mizuki is in that madman's hands! I can't just leave her!"

"And we won't," Veldor said, his voice kinder than Morrel had ever heard it. "Ludevic is known to send his agents to ambush and kidnap interesting 'specimens' like Mizuki and Sora in remote regions where the church can't see. We could not have prevented this."

"Why did we have to go through this graveyard?" Morrel cursed.

"As stated, Ludevic usually kidnaps victims in wild areas," Veldor lamented. "Never heard of him attacking people in cities like Havengul. In the absence of the archangel Avacyn, monsters like Ludevic grow more bold every day. I am sorry, Morrel. I made a mistake."

Morrel tried to push his broken nose back into place, making a mental note to visit a healer soon. "Just tell me that we can do something about it, at least."

"Yes," Veldor told Morrel, helping Morrel back up. "If we take a little time to recover from our exhaustion and poison gas's effects, we will be fit to carry out a rescue mission. Understand?"

Morrel sighed deeply, trying to keep his stomach from churning. "Understood."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... All is Dust, Hand of Emrakul, Nephalia Drownyard, Voiceless Spirit, Invisible Stalker, Moon Heron, Avacynian Priest, Selfless Cathar, Stromkirk Noble, Courier's Capsule, Homunculus (creature token), Stitched Drake, Makeshift Mauler, Skaab Goliath, Oblivion Ring, Tendrils of Corruption, Hindering Light**


	28. Chapter 28

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 28**

"I didn't realize that you had come so prepared, Veldor," Morrel commented as he massaged his newly-mended nose. He and Veldor sat in a rented hotel room in downtown Havengul, a simple but clean room lit with a pair of oil lamps hanging from the wooden ceiling. Outside, the crowds had worn themselves thin, most of Havengul's living citizens in their beds at home by now. The occasional voiceless spirit or ghost bird flitted among the rooftops from time to time in the soft moonlight.

Veldor, seated on the desk's creaky chair, folded his arms and nodded. "Yes. I need little maintenance, but you and Mizuki do. Not willing to take risks. Not anymore."

"Maintenance? What am I, a damaged sword?" Morrel joked, closing his eyes and focusing inward. Familiar channels of warm, smooth blue and white mana coursed through his body, along with weaker veins of green and red mana. _I'm pretty much restored from that battle against Ludevic's skaabs. Good._

Veldor shifted in the chair, making it creak in protest against the weight of his Etherium enhancements. "Not quite. Used to certain, well, terminology from home. Apologies."

"Don't sweat it," Morrel said simply, opening his eyes. He couldn't help a quick grin. "But Zoira might mind more. You won't make any progress with her talking like that!"

"First Mizuki, now you," Veldor mumbled, looking away. He ran a hand through his inch-long brown hair with his metal hand. "Now. If you are recovered, we can, ah, begin our rescue. Ludevic's castle is not too far if you know where the shortcuts are. Mizuki should still be alive."

Shivers trembled Morrel's body. "Still alive? Just what is this Ludevic bastard going to do to her?"

"Experiment on her and Sora. Might kill them later, using their bodies to create skaabs capable of wielding their powers," Veldor figured, then bolted to his feet and strode to the door, swinging it open. "Quickly. Not much time!"

"Yeah," Morrel nodded tersely, following Veldor out of the room and down the hotel's empty hallway.

*o*o*o*o*

Thunder rumbled like an angry dragon overhead among darkened midnight clouds, and Morrel felt chills down his spine as he and Veldor hiked up a series of rough, rocky hills. "Think there'll be a rain storm?"

Veldor didn't look up. "Might be. Rain would give us cover, though. Would like that."

_Yeah, and I fight at top form when I'm freezing cold and soaked! _Morrel retorted in his head, but he stayed silent and balled his hands into fists as he followed Veldor through the steep hills. He squinted. _Is that the castle?_

Up ahead, perched on top of a short grassy cliff, towered a castle with three thick, cylindrical turrets and several house-like roofs on its main halls. Several vast, leafless trees stood clustered around the castle like faithful guardians. The remaining moonlight washed the whole castle in ghostly light, and Morrel widened his eyes as he saw a smooth trail leading from these hills, up around the cliff, and to the castle's grounds. _There's our way in!_

Morrel was right: as Veldor led him silently but quickly up the dirt road, the castle drew nearer and nearer until Morrel was walking among the trees on the grassy grounds. He scanned his eyes across the darkening grounds, but nothing moved or made a sound, a scene as still as death. The clanks of Veldor's Etherium plates seemed deafening to Morrel in this still scene, but the Esper artificer strutted briskly across the grounds without concern.

"Won't anyone see us coming?" Morrel whispered as Veldor approached one of the taller trees.

Veldor shook his head. "No. Ludevic has guards only inside his castle, not on the grounds where raiding parties could pick them off. Follow me. We can easily get inside, but getting out will be difficult. Follow."

Without another word, Veldor bunched up his legs and sprang into the air like a frog, easily scaling fifteen feet. He landed lightly on a thick trunk of the nearest tree, then pounced and reached a higher branch, seizing it with his arms and hoisting himself up. With one more leap, Veldor perched himself on a branch that reached very close to a window on the castle's east wing. Lights shone from within, but there was no sound. Veldor looked down at Morrel. "Hurry. Join me."

Morrel tried not to make a face. "Wh-what? I can't jump like that! Do you see Etherium plates on my legs?"

"Sorry," Veldor replied without sounding very sorry, reaching out with his fleshy right hand with a disk of cerulean-blue mana glowed along his fingers. Morrel felt his stomach lurch as a second, larger disk of blue mana levitated him up and to Veldor's branch. The disks dissolved and Morrel settled himself onto the thick branch, fighting back vertigo.

"Handy," Morrel commented, trying not to look down. He guessed that he was on level with the fifth floor's windows.

"Anyway, have to move on," Veldor said briskly, wiggling his right hand's fingers. "I'll go first." He crept along the branch and reached his Etherium hand toward the glassless window, tentatively poking his hand into the interior hallway's air and clenching his hand into a fist. Wisps of white, black, and blue mana oozed from his fingers and dissipated. Veldor turned back to Morrel. "No enchantments in this hallway. Come."

_What would I do without him? _Morrel mused to himself he followed Veldor into the hallway, glad to have his feet back on solid ground. Paneled wood walls offered a homely sense, and regularly-spaced paintings, potted plants, and wall-mounted candles almost lured Morrel into a sense of calm. He shook his head. _Mizuki's here somewhere. We have to help her!_

Veldor marched down the hallway with his Etherium left arm stretched out, and Morrel made sure to stay within safe distance as the older man roved through several similar hallways in the castle. Down a flight of wooden steps they went, and the air grew colder as Veldor continued to prowl the castle and into a huge sitting room.

"Hhhhssssssshhhhh! Intruders!"

A shushed hiss and growled word raised goosebumps along Morrel's skin and he twitched, whirling around at the voice's source. Three elbow-height, brown-cloaked monsters hefted rusty pikes and glared at Morrel with single eyes that covered their entire faces.

"Homunculus, Innistrad breed," Veldor determined. "Faster than they look, Morrel."

With another shushed hiss, the three homunculi pounced through the air like hungry jaguars, slashing their pikes through the air. Morrel's nerves tingled as he narrowly evaded the pikes, twisting out of the way as the homunculi guards landed and turned back to face the intruders. The homunculi attacked again, swinging their pikes faster than Morrel thought possible. He conjured a small Hindering Light to block one homunculi's pike, the shield straining and spitting sparks. Then the shield shattered and the pike's flat side smashed into Morrel's arm, sending him tumbling awkwardly to the carpeted floor.

Planting his feet to the ground, Veldor ejected a single silver needle from his Etherium wrist, the bolt catching an attacking homunculus. The blue creature shrieked and tumbled, its pike spilling out of its clumsy hands. The monster's giant eye closed and the homunculus began to snore despite the battle.

With a fierce look of determination, Veldor ejected another dart from his wrist and caught a second homunculus on its arm, sending it down too. The third, however, pounced from the shadows and jabbed its pike at the back of Veldor's head, silent as a ghost.

"No!" Morrel thrust out his open palm, white mana flaring from his hand. The homunculus vanished and a white ring of mana replaced it in mid-air, startling Veldor.

"Very nice," he complimented Morrel, lowering his arm. "My sleep darts will keep the others subdued for an hour. Will your oblivion ring hold?"

"Yeah," Morrel nodded. He gulped. "For homunculi, these guys are good."

Veldor strode down the wide room and toward a hallway. "Ludevic can implant memories and fighting skills into his minions with blue and black mana. Most insidious but noteworthy. Follow m- aaaaaargh!"

Morrel clutched his head and bit back a cry, too: as soon as he joined Veldor in the well-lit hallway, the walls, ceiling, and floor warped and twisted like churning water, bending and flexing in a nauseating pulse that made Morrel's head ache and stomach clench. _Wh-what am I doing here? This place... it's impossible! How'd I get... who am I... no way... twisting! Twisting! IMPOSSIBLE! Gluh... blu-bleh... urghhh..._

A cold metal hand clamped on Morrel's wrist and tugged hard, and Morrel felt the pressure on his head ease as the hand's owner dragged him down the hall and descended another flight of steps.

"Are you all right?" Veldor's voice asked urgently, settling Morrel against a cool stone wall.

Morrel groaned and rubbed his eyes, tearing his glasses off his face. He was surprised to feel beads of sweat on his face. "Y-yeah, j-just lost myself a bit there. What happened?"

A bitter frown crossed Veldor's face. "Forgot to check for enchantments. Unless I am wrong, that room had a dream-twister effect. Screws with all your senses and tears your memory and sanity apart. Another ten seconds, and you wouldn't even have the brain function of an earthworm."

"Charming," Morrel sighed shakily, slipping his glasses back on. They slid against his slick nose. "Well, lucky that we're doing this as a team. I can't imagine anyone going through here alone."

"And lucky for me, my brain is partly immune to such effects," Veldor said tightly. "Only _partly_. Now, let's move. We've reached the experiment sector. Expect more guards, staff members, and test subjects up ahead. Can't let our guards down."

He wasn't kidding; the castle's interior became rough damp stone, and the chambers and hallways more spacious and less well-lit. As Veldor led Morrel down a hallway, a man with silver armor and a strange eye-piece wandered into view, his right arm encased in a glowing, bulbous shell that glowed with twisted blue mana. The man recoiled. "Hey! Who are you guys?"

Morrel didn't even waste a second; he conjured another ring of white mana, or rather, he tried to. The castle mage jabbed forth his encased hand and a sizzling vortex of blue mana overwhelmed the oblivion ring and devoured it. _He countered my ring! _Morrel realized with dread. Veldor, meanwhile, fired another needle that pierced the man's exposed neck, relaxing the man's whole body and sending him crumpling to the floor.

"Good shot," Morrel noted. Veldor stepped over the mage's sleeping form and down a curving staircase, and Morrel hurried to catch up, wondering what would come up next.

A giant egg.

_Just what is going to hatch from that? _Morrel gawked as he and Veldor started to enter a vast chamber. Resting on a podium on a cushion lay a speckled white egg large enough for Morrel to easily curl up inside of, and a handful of black-cloaked men wandered the room, fiddling with devices that had feeding tubes leading to the egg. A blue mana field hummed under the egg.

"Never seen _that _before," Veldor muttered into Morrel's ear. "Take out guards. Then we can proceed. Mizuki must be near."

With that, Veldor filled the air with three more darts, sending three of the robed men crumpling to the floor. Just as quickly, Morrel reached out and encased two more of the men in small rings, temporarily banishing them from existence. Now maintaining three such rings, Morrel felt his muscles ache as white mana continuously flowed from his body. Eager to get moving, Morrel joined Veldor in crossing the room, tentatively passing the giant egg that occupied the room's center. Up another staircase Veldor went, flitting through what appeared to be a series of dungeon chambers that ranged from empty to packed with frightened human victims pleading to be released. As much as he ached to help them, Morrel knew that it would do little good; only his highly-skilled party could get out of here. _Perhaps Innistrad's own heroes will free them sometime, _Morrel thought, praying to every Bant angel he knew that such would happen.

"What, are you bastards out there that happy to gut me and play with me?" taunted a familiar voice from one of the larger chambers at the end of the hall, and Morrel's stomach lurched. _That's her!_ Trying to keep his hands steady, Morrel knelt before the cell's wooden door and pressed his fingers onto its lock, soaking green mana into the metal mechanism. The metal sizzled and corroded as though doused in acid, and fell to the floor in pieces. Heart hammering, Morrel wrenched open the chamber's heavy door and stormed inside, thankful that this cell had several torches to light the place.

"Morrel! I'll be darned. Get me down," Mizuki eagerly babbled, pinned to the wall by her wrists and ankles in iron cuffs. Morrel seized the cuffs and dissolved them with more green mana, glad that his modest green mana reserves were holding out. The cuffs snapped into pieces and Morrel stood back, letting Mizuki stagger forward and flex her arms.

"Those damn things suppress mana," she explained. "So I couldn't use my cursed arm. Otherwise, I'd be out in a second!"

"Yeah," Morrel agreed breathlessly as Veldor stepped into the cell too. "Veldor and I took out the guards, but there's still – mmmmff!"

Not letting Morrel finish his sentence, Mizuki stepped forward and took his head in her hands, pressing an enthusiastic kiss on his lips. Mizuki closed her eyes and kept herself and Morrel locked together for a few seconds, then broke off and opened her eyes, beaming recklessly.

"I... what... what was that?" Morrel stammered, gawking. Still, he felt his heart hammer and his nerves tingled pleasantly. He suddenly regretted that Mizuki had broken away so soon.

Mizuki pointed at him. "That was for rescuing me. Plus..." she blushed, shyly glancing away. "I-I've wanted to kiss you for a while, but now seemed like the most appropriate time. You know, since it's a rescue and all? I'm showing my thanks, and uh... wow, I'm yammering, aren't I?"

"If you say so," Morrel faintly agreed in a daze.

Mizuki snapped herself back to business. "Can we get back out the way you came in? I hope we can get out of here fast."

"Should work," Veldor figured. "But security will probably be higher at this point. More homunculi and mage guards, plus skaabs and dangerous enchantments. Better move before any more guards are mobilized."

"Lead the way," Mizuki said, in spite of the fact that she strode out of the cell first and approached the cell in front of her. Her right arm swelled to full curse size and she slashed her talons against the door, breaking it down in splinters. Sora came scurrying out and leaped onto Mizuki's chest, clinging to her in a tight hug.

"Mommy Mizuki!" Sora cheered.

"Yeah, it's me. We're leaving this dump," Mizuki told Sora confidently, turning to Morrel and Veldor. "Guys...?"

"Yes," Veldor nodded, bolting down the cell complex with his companions in tow.

Morrel's heart still hammered in his chest and he found himself clenching his fists in agitation as Veldor led him and Mizuki back toward the large chamber with the egg. _Getting out is bound to be tougher than getting in, now that Veldor and I have caused a ruckus! We should – oh no._

"Did you rats think you'd get away so easily?" taunted a sniveling voice as Morrel's party hurried back into the egg chamber. A tall man in silver and black armor stood before a squad of pike-wielding homunculi soldiers, and he carried a curvy sword in his right hand and a sphere of dark blue mana in the left. "Think again. Master Ludevic doesn't tolerate sneaky behavior! _Get them!"_

At the command, the homunculi guards, at least a dozen of them, shrieked in rage and leaped all over the room, quickly flanking Morrel's group and cutting off any exits. The two oblivion rings in the room vanished as Morrel cut off his eldritch ties to them, freeing up white mana to fight with. He released his oblivion ring cast on a homunculus farther back in the castle too. At once, two black-robed servants popped back into existence, confused about the sudden struggle. Morrel merely ignored them, instead focusing on a pair of homunculi intent on skewering him.

_Not so fast! _Morrel grunted in his head, twisting past the sharp pikes. He seized a pike and wrenched it from its owner's grip, then lashed out his booted foot and caught the bare-handed homunculi on the temple. The blue man yelped and crashed into a curving stone wall with a thud, crumpling to the floor. A sudden blast of pain sent Morrel reeling forth as the other homunculi smacked his pike against Morrel's head, making stars erupt in Morrel's vision. Morrel growled and swung out with his foot, but his foot swished through empty air as the homunculi nimbly side-stepped, allowing another pair of guards to hurry over and jab their pikes in Morrel's direction.

Morrel slipped away from the pikes but winced as one pike's bladed edge sliced against his haunch, cutting into his flesh. He swung his fist at a homunculi and caught it on the chin, sending it up into the air. Morrel's other fist slammed into the homunculi's chest and sent it tumbling back, yet such a move left him open. Two other homunculi guards thrust their spears at Morrel's exposed side.

With a cry, Mizuki pounced onto the scene and swept her giant right arm through the air, her talons slashing into the ambush homunculi and drawing bright purple blood. Shrieking in protest, the homunculi crashed across the floor from Mizuki's hard swing, their pikes falling from their hands. Mizuki hurried over to Morrel. "You okay?"

"Not bad," Morrel told her tightly, clutching a hand at his shallow wound. _That blade had better not be poisoned!_

Veldor pushed off the ground and vaulted high into the air, allowing his own homunculi assailants to fill the air with their pikes and leave themselves open. Landing behind the stunned homunculi, Veldor extended his metal left arm's sword blade and sent two homunculi to the floor with a wide sweep. The other guards swung their pikes back, only to be parried by Veldor's blade with a loud _clang_. Veldor slipped past one guard's blind spot and kicked the guard back with an Etherium-powered leg, shattering the guard's bones. Veldor flicked his left wrist and a round blade shot out, slicing into another guard's neck.

"You won't get away with this!" howled the silver-armored man. At his word, another two dozen homunculi guards piled into the room from various doorways, their pikes held at the ready. Morrel braced himself for another onslaught, but he felt his blood go cold as a familiar sight wandered in after the homunculi: skaabs.

The four-legged skaab from the graveyard charged past its homunculi allies, shoving them aside with its four strong legs and shrieking from its reptilian jaws. The skaab had replaced its left arm and swung its long left arm's huge blade at Morrel's head, only to be stopped by Veldor's own blade. Veldor planted his feet on the ground and strained to keep the skaab's blade at bay, his muscles trembling against the undead strength of the skaab.

"Sever its head! That should be its weak point!" Veldor shouted over the skaab's roars. Veldor and the skaab broke contact with their blades, clashing their weapons back and forth as the homunculi advanced. Mizuki, meanwhile, bared her teeth and leaped back, slashing her left hand in a wide arc. Dozens of thick tentacles of murderous black mana erupted from the stone floor and impaled the homunculi guards as they charged, buying Morrel a little time. Morrel leaped high into the air and over the four-legged skaab's head, grateful that Veldor kept it distracted. Morrel landed right on the skaab's shoulders, but the beast reached with its right arm's claws to tear Morrel off.

Morrel clung to the skaab's thick right arm, weighing it down and forcing the monster's limb toward the nearest wall. Acting fast, Morrel reached out and flooded the skaab's arm with blue, white, and green mana, the tri-colored mana flood hardening into shining crystals that fused the skaab's arm to the wall. The skaab hissed and tugged uselessly on its arm, and Veldor took his chance. The Esper artificer ducked the skaab's blade and slashed its chest with his sword blade, spilling armfuls of the skaab's spare flesh from within. Before Veldor could reach the skaab's neck, however, several homunculi guards charged and stabbed their pikes at Veldor's exposed back.

"No!" Morrel shouted, reaching out with his arms. His Hindering Light spell stymied the pikes' points, the weapons bouncing off the shield. Now safe again, Veldor sliced off one of the skaab's four legs and caused the whole monster to lurch as though drunk. Indignant, the homunculi guards turned and charged at Morrel, shrieking with their pikes raised for the kill. Morrel quickly scrambled out of the way, not wishing to become a human pincushion. He produced a throwing knife and hurled it back, catching one homunculi on the forehead. Clapping his hands together, Morrel flooded the knife with his small reserve of red mana and the resulting explosion vaporized the homunculi and three of its nearby allies. The rest, though dazed by the blast, kept charging.

Veldor aimed his blade for the wounded skaab's neck but the monster's jaws and teeth forced him back, and one of its three remaining legs lashed out in a strong kick that sent Veldor crashing into the Hindering Light, shattering it and sprawling onto the floor. "Morrel! Mizuki! Let's just run! There's too many enemies here!" he shouted. Morrel was visibly straining his mana reserves and Mizuki's cursed hand was not fast enough to hold off the homunculi for long, though she had slain a handful by this point. Veldor's resolve to flee hardened when the skaab goliath lumbered into the room, howling deeply and waving its various arms as a threat.

_These skaabs are impossible! _Morrel cursed, wondering if any force in the Multiverse could destroy them. He could find no resources to exploit in this room to turn the tables, not even that giant egg. _Wait..._

"Morrel! Where are you going?" Mizuki cried when she saw Morrel tear off toward the egg.

"Giving us... a nice distraction!" Morrel wheezed as he evaded the homunculi guards and skaabs, reaching the waiting egg. "Let's see what Ludevic has stored in here!" And with that, he tore off the egg's feeding tubes and stabbed a throwing knife into the shell.

At once, the shell throbbed and emitted a pulse of raw mana that threw Morrel back, blinking in a daze. Indeed, everyone in the room stopped and stared as the egg levitated a few feet into the air, pulsating and swelling all the time as though about to burst. Then, with one last swell, the shell shattered and a vast, scaly blue form erupted from within and unfolded its four limbs. Morrel stumbled back in awe as a fat, long-tailed lizard stood to its full height like a humanoid, at least twenty-five feet tall from head to toe. It sleepily blinked its eyes a few times, then its eyes widened and took in the whole room. With a sudden, warbling howl, the lizard monster swung its tail and shattered a chunk of a nearby wall, then the lizard began to tear into every surface it could reach with its claws.

"It's going mad! It's the distraction we need!" Morrel shouted over the din as the homunculi and skaabs rushed over to contain the thrashing, frightened lizard. The giant lizard swatted its fellows back, stomping its huge feet and rattling the whole room like an earthquake. Howling again, the lizard crashed into the support pillars in the room, bringing down avalanches of stone and wood debris from overhead, all the while tearing more chunks out of the walls.

"Let's go!" Mizuki demanded, prancing through the room and barely avoiding the carnage. Praying to the angel Asha to watch over him, Morrel collected his thrown knives and hurried after Mizuki, Veldor and Sora taking up the rear. The giant lizard's tail slapped into the far wall and exposed a clear way out of the castle, but Morrel didn't know how far a drop it would be to solid ground. He didn't care; he had to get out.

"Here goes!" Mizuki cried as she leaped out the open space, and Morrel took a deep breath and jumped after her. Relief flooded his mind as he saw that the ground was barely ten feet down, but it felt like a hundred as he tumbled awkwardly across the ground and aggravated his bruises and wounds. Veldor lightly landed on the ground carrying Sora and led the way, the four of them racing across the castle's grounds and away from the raging battle within.

When the castle and its battle drew too distant to see and hear, only then did Morrel and the others stop to settle on the ground and catch their breath.

"Is everyone okay?" Morrel panted, his glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them back up.

"Yeah, I guess," Mizuki wheezed, her right arm returning to normal. She massaged it, wincing. "Wow, that went by in a blur, didn't it? Such fun!"

"That wasn't _fun_," Morrel complained, but he admitted a small smile all the same. "I'm just glad Veldor and I got you out of there. I couldn't go on without you."

Mizuki couldn't fight back a smile. "You and your honor. Well, then again, you _do _need me to help, seeing as I'm stronger than you..."

"Th-that's not true!"

"Maybe it is!"

"No way!"

"What do you think, Sora?"

"Mommy is strongest," stated the Esper homunculi.

"There you go. I'm strongest!" Mizuki declared, settling Sora on her lap.

"That doesn't count!" Morrel objected hotly.

"Shut up, both of you!" Veldor exploded. "We are making too much noise!"

Both Morrel and Mizuki cowered. "Sorry, Veldor," the said in unison.

*o*o*o*o*

Snowy mountains loomed in the early morning sky on Dominaria as Azrael walked confidently across a rocky mountain path, loose pebbles and bits of mountain bushes scattering from his footsteps. Azrael walked with his back straight and his eyes set calmly on the road ahead, but his mind raged. _Rohkan deserted me and Maretta is still recovering her strength on Innistrad. I have faith that she can use the native monsters to lure in and destroy our enemies, but it she fails, I stand alone. I can't let that happen. It's time that I meet with _him. _He is my last chance. _Azrael tightened his hands into fists at the thought.

Up ahead loomed another figure, a man as tall as Azrael and considerably bigger. His studded black leather armor creaked slightly as he approached Azrael, a quick grin crossing his face. The man's arms were bare, revealing his weathered skin and bulging muscles, and his hard jawline and steely eyes only enhanced his intimidating appearance. A shock of dark blond hair spiked up from his scalp, reminiscent of the hairstyle that drill instructors of local armies across Dominaria sported. Leather boots encased the man's legs and he wore black trousers of fine quality. A small gray cape fluttered from the man's left shoulder. "We meet at last, Azrael," commented the big man in a deep and smooth timbre. His eyes glinted.

"Nihil," acknowledged Azrael, coming to a halt before the bigger Planeswalker. "The Multiverse's greatest mercenary. I need your help."

"Of course," Nihil nodded. "My minions tell me that you seek four shards of a sphere object. Must be one hell of a sphere."

"At the very least," Azrael agreed, his brown eyes flashing. "The re-assembled Sphere will contain the power of life and death, and there lies my payment offer."

Nihil's eyes widened. "You offer me something greater than coin?"

"Of course. The power of the reconstructed Sphere of Ages will be limitless," Azrael nodded. "I could give you immortality! I hear that the Planeswalkers of old attained immortality with their Sparks, but..."

Nihil nodded again, folding his arms. "But us neowalkers have to make do with mortality. So I've been told. Well, I can work with that! Consider me on the job. I'll get those Sphere shards for you without any trouble. I have minions all over the Multiverse who act as my eyes and ears. Just watch me."

Azrael clapped a hand on Nihil's shoulder. "Excellent. We have work to be done, you and I."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Voiceless Spirit, Moon Heron, Stitcher's Apprentice, Oblivion Ring, Dream Twist, Snapcaster Mage, Ludevic's Test Subject, Naturalize, Homunculus (creature token), Makeshift Mauler, Tendrils of Corruption, Crystallization, Skaab Goliath, Ludevic's Abomination, Mountain (John Avon)**


	29. Chapter 29

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 29**

Rohkan almost coughed against the rusty, heavy air when he first began his meditation, but now the Vedalken's breathing became slow and easy and Rohkan kept his eyes closed and legs crossed as he sat on top of a hill overlooking the Tangle's frontier. The five suns of Mirrodin shone relentlessly, an oppressive sight to some visitors but a nostalgic one for Rohkan as he meditated once again on his life.

_I stand at a crossroads, my feet poised on a split in the path of life, _the Vedalken told himself, remembering one of the many philosophies of his people that he actually understood. He clenched his upper left fist slightly as he breathed out through his nostrils. _And the fate of millions of lost lives may well hinge on what I choose... or if I don't choose. Azrael's Sphere promises to bring back his people, but at what cost? The torment and chaos that his methods bring? _The vision of countless Kithkin dying before Azrael's black mana attack waves flashed before Rohkan's mind's eye. _They say that the end justifies the means. But does it? Can an atrocity be repaid by an equal or greater act of kindness? There's always the risk that the person causing this suffering could perish before accomplishing his noble goal, and then all that suffering happens for nothing. Azrael is not unbeatable, and without me at his side..._

Soft footsteps sounded from behind Rohkan, unseen feet treading across the gleaming Razor Fields. _Those four Planeswalkers could very well find success without me against them. And if they do, what then? Azrael will have caused all that suffering for nothing, but stopping him could prevent more evil from being done! _Rohkan clenched his jaw._ I cannot determine: should I oppose Azrael or assist him once again? Or should I even interfere any longer? I am under no true commitment to help him, after all... who is that? _For the footsteps grew faster and nearer, and Rohkan felt strange wisps of mana drifting through the air.

"And here I thought I was alone," Rohkan quipped as he snapped open his eyes, his pupils shrinking against the glare of the five suns. He rose to his feet and turned, resisting the urge to grip the handles of his four swords.

The newcomer, a human man, smiled crookedly and came to a halt a dozen feet from Rohkan. His brawny build, army-style haircut, and flexible, dark clothing suggested that he was a brawler type. Rohkan looked the man over and commented, "What tribe do you hail from? You seem Auriok, but bear no metal plates on your body. Unless they're under your armor?"

The man laughed easily. "No, I'm a 'walker just like you... Rohkan."

Gripping his sword handles, Rohkan tightened the skin around his eyes. "You know me?"

"I don't, but I was told of you!" the man jabbed a thick finger at Rohkan. "I am a mercenary. My name's Nihil. I work for Azrael now, and he sent me to get you back."

Rohkan took a step back, the straw sandals on his feet slipping a little against the slick metal ground. "Really, now? Does forgiveness exist in his heart after all?"

"No need to talk like that," Nihil waved his hands, his face falling. "That man has lost everything, and he needs every ally he can find. You must understand."

"You must be new to Azrael's cause, so I'll explain it to you," Rohkan gritted. "That man enslaves every able-bodied creature he can find and slaughters thousands if they fail him. He is ruthless and wreaks havoc wherever he goes! But he waves around his personal loss as a justification for all that. I cannot bear it any longer."

"So you come to this Plane to think it over," Nihil sneered, and his tone carried a note of derision that Rohkan suspected was not directed at him. "You seem a great warrior and decisive man, Rohkan. You can be better than this, I'm sure. Join Azrael again and you can get everything you've ever wanted! The people of Azrael's island home on Dominaria would reward you and I with all kinds of riches in return for us helping resurrect them with the Sphere of Ages! Don't forget that."

_That does it. _"I'm not in this for wealth or fame, cretin!" Rohkan barked. "Get out of my sight. Mirrodin holds nothing for you."

Nihil tried to sigh nonchalantly, but a hiss of menace escaped his lips instead. His eyes flashed. "Azrael was afraid you'd say something like that. That's why he told me to do _this_!"

Pushing his booted foot off the hard ground, Nihil pulled his lips back in a snarl and lashed a meaty fist right at Rohkan's head. Rohkan's eyes widened in shock as he ducked the blow, skittering to the side. _He's fast! Very fast, for his size. _Rohkan rushed toward Nihil's blind spot and drew his two short swords, jabbing both blades at Nihil's exposed flank. Apparently sensing the attack, Nihil pulled away and let Rohkan stab empty air, leaving Rohkan exposed as he stretched his arms out. Nihil threw a heavy punch at Rohkan's head again, so Rohkan reached out with a free fist and countered the blow in mid-air.

_He's strong, too! _Rohkan realized as his strong arm trembled against Nihil's blocked punch. Rohkan twisted around and slashed his two short swords at Nihil again, but this time, Nihil drew back and extended his hands palm-out. Twin blasts of purple-black mana issued from his palms, forcing Rohkan to leap to the side and land in a crouch some feet away, letting Nihil's fire scorch the ground instead.

Rohkan stabbed his short swords forth, releasing his own twin fireballs right at his enemy. Nihil jumped out of the way, but Rohkan grinned fiercely as he drew his two long swords and vaulted overhead to take the distracted Nihil by surprise. Lashing all four blades through the air, Rohkan shouted as he descended on his foe. Nihil held back a grunt as the four blades slashed into his skin, spilling not red, but black blood. Rohkan paused as he landed before his wounded enemy, staring. _Black blood?_

At once, Nihil's foot swished through the air and caught Rohkan's leg, sending pain exploding up Rohkan's leg as he toppled from the blow. Nihil grinned as his fist slammed against Rohkan's face, making stars pop into Rohkan's vision. The Vedalken was thrown onto his back from the blow.

_I have to get up! _Rohkan fought to get on his feet, but tendrils of white mana snaked across his limbs and he felt as though lead weights dragged him down. _No! Nihil's skin contact planted paralyzing white mana onto me! _Rohkan strained against the restraints, primal green mana bulging in his muscles in a fit of panic. The white mana audibly snapped as Rohkan broke free, his muscles trembling from the effort while he scrambled to another position. A split second later, another blast of Nihil's purple fire raged onto the spot Rohkan had occupied seconds earlier. As Rohkan clamored to his feet, he saw not a scorch mark from the fire, but a deep, circular depression in the ground with sharply-defined edges. The expected scent of burnt metal was notably absent.

"Just... what are you?" Rohkan panted. "Black blood? That fire?"

Nihil wiggled his fingers and made a fist. "I call it Void Fire. It does not burn, but rather..." Without warning, he stretched out a hand and another blast of Void Fire washed through the air, and Rohkan leaped high to avoid it, landing in a new depression in the metal earth. "Rather, well, maybe you can tell what is happening here. If your tiny Vedalken brain can handle it," Nihil finished.

Rohkan bit his lip to hold back a hot retort against the jibe at his race's pride in wisdom, recalling how he had been tormented by his people for his lack of facility in arcane Vedalken arts and philosophy. "You are dangerous, Nihil," he said slowly, sheathing his swords, "but we won't finish this today."

"No! You stay here and fight me!" Nihil spat, his eyes bulging. "Do you know how hard it was to track you here? But I can find you again..."

"Too bad," Rohkan shook his head. "I know Planes where I can become impossible to find, and if I knew you were around I'd have gone to such a Plane in the first place rather than here." He sneered. "You won't find me again until I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Nihil demanded.

"You'll find out soon enough," Rohkan retorted, and a wreath of red and green mana enshrouded him. A second later, Nihil stood alone on the Razor Fields.

*o*o*o*o*

"Are you feeling any better, Mizuki?" Morrel asked as he gently escorted his friend up a flight of wooden steps to their ship's deck and to open sunlight.

"Uuughh. Maybe," Mizuki groaned, her face pale as she held her stomach with one hand and her other arm draped around Morrel's shoulders for support. The both of them were two of several dozen passengers on the _Angel's Wing_, a sleek and fast ship that regularly took passengers back and forth between Havengul and Kessig's port towns. Most passengers seemed to be enjoying the trip, but Mizuki had spent the whole night curled up on her cot, trembling.

Morrel winced. "Well, I hope that the potion the crew gave you for your sickness helped at least a little."

Mizuki nodded tightly, her eyes focused on the late afternoon sunlight up ahead. "Kind of. I still can't really deal with boats, though, cause they rock and creak and... ugh."

_The ocean really isn't kind to Mizuki at all, _Morel lamented at Mizuki's seasickness. Luckily, the crew of the _Angel's Wing _were used to seasick passengers and had a stock of potions that calmed the stomach, but Mizuki had still felt queasy the entire time. Veldor, meanwhile, hadn't noticed the slightest thing and instead kept himself perched on the bow like a sentinel, ignoring the need for food or sleep. _If he needs those things at all, _Morrel figured with slight envy.

A salty, cool breeze toyed with Morrel and Mizuki's hair as they walked across the open deck, the dark waters far below churning and lapping against the ship's smooth wooden hull. Sailors worked the rigging and manned the sails and crow's nest, shouting orders to each other all the while. Nephalia's sandy, geist-haunted shores had long since vanished, and now the hilly, forested frontier of Kessig drew close up ahead and the captain, a black-bearded man with gold earrings barked orders for his men to prepare to dock. A few other curious passengers came up from the passenger holds to watch the _Angel's Wing _drift slowly to the waiting port, and the creaking ship nestled itself against the wooden pylons. The boarding ramp slammed down to position and sailors hurried down to the dock while other men on board tossed down ropes. The sailors on the dock expertly looped the rope around short poles on the dock to fasten the ship to the dock, and motioned for the passengers to disembark.

"Now I can get off this horrible thing," Mizuki commented with a watery smile as she and Morrel tromped down the ramp with everyone else, and the both of them wandered to the town's center square amid flocks of townspeople going about this business. Already, Morrel realized that he had entered a land of shadows: huge, dark green pines towered overhead in all directions, reducing sunlight to a few choked beams and leeching away all the warmth. Despite the mid-afternoon sun, thick roiling mist wafted through the deep forest, obscuring whatever lay beyond.

Morrel shivered for more reasons than he cared to count.

"So where is that metal idiot?" Mizuki snapped, whipping her head this way and that. She stomped a bare foot, resisting a shiver. "He's never predictable."

Just as Mizuki complained, Veldor came striding through the crowds, his shiny Etherium armor and blue cape contrasting with the leather-clothed townsfolk. He even attracted a suspicious glare from a man carrying a bag of squirming chickens, but he ignored the attention and approached Morrel and Mizuki. He scratched at his temple. "So, here we are."

"I can _see _that!" Mizuki bit back.

Veldor blanched. "Why so rude?"

"Because you're so awkward!"

"Am I? Morrel, am I awkward?"

"You're asking me?" Morrel blinked.

"Never mind." Veldor stiffened his back, his eyes hardening. "Kessig is even more perilous than Nephalia is. Towns are not safe. Farms are not safe. Nothing is."

"And you're sure that Maretta is here?" Morrel asked.

Veldor nodded tightly. "Right. Local disturbances indicate such, somewhere near Lambholt."

"What's that?" Mizuki asked as the three of them set out through the town. Two and three-story wooden buildings passed by, from houses to butcher shops to Cathar prayer houses.

"A large town further into Kessig that relies on pastures and sheep flocks for its wealth," Veldor explained, eyes searching the town for something. "A part of Ulvenwald Forest, the forest of Kessig, was chopped down to provide pasture land. Good for the people, but the wilderness strikes back against the falling of so many trees. Werewolf attacks are frequent there, and the werewolves there have recently changed their behavior, acting as though under central leadership."

"Maretta," Mizuki glowered.

"That's right, and we have to get there at once to settle this," Veldor announced, then waved an arm. "Trip for three?"

At the command, an older woman guiding a roofless horse-drawn carriage pulled up, clad in heavy long-sleeved clothing an a three-pointed hat over her long, dark blonde hair. Leather gloves sheathed her hands. "Where to, folks?" she asked shortly.

"Lambholt," Veldor stated as he handed over a sum of gold coins, climbing into the large carriage's back. Morrel hesitated for a second, then climbed in after Veldor and helped Mizuki up.

The woman whistled. "This is a mighty dangerous time to visit that place. You know that them werewolves are acting up, right?" she narrowed her eyes. "And that it's the _full moon _t'night?"

Morrel's gut clenched and he had to tighten his fists to keep them from shaking. He suddenly felt trapped in the carriage's confines, but Mizuki patted a hand on his thigh and gave him a reassuring look.

"I know what is happening, and we're here to prevent it," Veldor responded calmly. "We are stronger than we look."

The woman considered this. "Did the Church send y'all?"

"No, but we are friends of the Church," Veldor politely told her. "Please. We have to hurry."

"Fine. It's your hides on the line here," the woman shrugged, turning back around in her seat and lashing her horses' reigns. At once, the two horses snorted and set off at a quick trot through town, headed right for the north exit. The noisy crowds of the port town fell behind and the muffled sounds of the forest took over, from distant wolf howls to birds chirping to unseen beasts crawling through the brush. The further the carriage went, the more maple and oak trees Morrel began to see, and the twisted, imposing trees bore leaves of fiery orange, red, and muddy brown, often coating the forest floor with a scattering of fallen leaves. The road, a rough dirt one, made for a somewhat bumpy ride as the horses pulled the carriage over a few hills and around some turns. The road branched off here and there, but the guide woman apparently knew the way and guided the horses such. Before long, Morrel heard paws. Quick ones.

"Wolf!" Morrel warned everyone as a bulky, black-furred wolf emerged from the misty forest and began to scamper alongside the carriage, its eyes excited and its tongue hanging out as it panted from exertion. Morrel didn't like how fearlessly close the wolf came to the rushing carriage, but the guide woman merely laughed.

"Them Kessig wolves loves to chase anything that moves," she commented. "Don't worry yourself, sweetheart. Won't do a thing to you unless you provoke it."

Morrel still watched the wolf warily and even Mizuki peeked over his shoulder to get a look at it. "Won't its pack come too?" Mizuki asked.

"Eh, sometimes," the guide shrugged. "Maybe – oh! There they are."

Warbling howls echoed through Ulvenwald Forest and another five black wolves burst from the foliage, catching up with the first one and assuming a hunt formation. They no longer seemed focused on the carriage, but rather the road up ahead.

"That howling is creepy," Morrel shivered.

"Don't be afraid when you hear the wolves howl. Be afraid when you don't hear them at all," the woman advised. "That means they're out for your blood!"

Veldor pursed his lips as he watched the six wolves race ahead, tearing across the rough dirt road. "They're after something, but what?" he mumbled. "Strange..."

Nothing else of interest came up as the carriage careened deeper into Ulvenwald Forest, and as the sun was settling on the horizon the carriage at last emerged into a lightly wooded area, passing by numerous farm houses and patches of crops. Then, the trees broke entirely and a sprawling, well-lit village burst into view, nestled on the flat, open plains and hilly pastures. Rocky walls divided the open land into separate pastures, and cloaked shepherds guided their flocks along the grassy expanses while smoke poured from the chimneys of Lambholt's cottages and inns. Dark gray clouds gathered on the opposite horizon.

_This isn't much different from home, _Morrel thought fondly, closing his eyes and breathing in the cool, clean air. _Open lands, simple villages, an honest day's work, and honorable, angel-guided warriors there to defend the people from evil._

A sharp poke in the ribs jolted Morrel and he snapped his eyes open. "Wh-what?"

"You had that look again," Mizuki smiled as she lowered her finger.

"What look?"

"That this-reminds-me-of-home look," Mizuki teased him, shaking his shoulder. "And before you say it, yeah, I do know you that well. Anything that looks like Bant gets your blood moving. Homesick?"

"Sometimes," Morrel defended himself. "And what about you? What do you make of this place?"

Mizuki shrugged innocently, getting a good look around as the carriage reached Lambholt's wooden front gates. "Oh, this place isn't bad. Nice and open. I bet the people are nice, too."

"Halt there, visitors!" barked an authoritative voice, and the carriage's driver tugged on her horses' reigns and brought the carriage to a halt. A tall man approached the carriage, a long steel sword at his hip and iron and leather armor clanking as he walked. A wide, three-pointed hat rested on his head and a crossbow was set on his back. "What business do you have here? If you bring trouble, I'll strike you down myself. We of Lambholt have enough trouble as it is."

Mizuki made a sour face. "Never mind that thing about the people being nice," she grumbled in Morrel's ear.

The guide responded calmly, "I bring three friends of the Church from Nephalia, here to investigate the werewolf activity here."

"Oh. Is that right?" the man said, sounding unconvinced. "And who be they? I was not informed of reinforcements!"

"I, uh..." the woman looked over her shoulder for help, and Veldor quickly muttered a few details to her. She turned around. "Veldor, Mizuki, and Morrel are warriors-for-hire who, at the last minute, were hired by the Church to help out here. There wasn't time to send a message. This is of utmost importance. They mean no harm."

The man ran his hand along his sword's flat blade. "I see. But I'll need my men to look them over before they're allowed into the restricted sections of Lambholt," he stated, then motioned. "Very well. The gates will open for you."

"Thank you," the woman nodded her head, and the wooden gates swung open at once. The horses trotted into Lambholt at last.

"What was that all about?" Morrel couldn't help asking.

Veldor leaned back slightly. "Every hamlet, or town, in Kessig has a captain of the home defense force who is expected to handle every evil from monster and humankind alike without fear. That was Lambholt's home guard captain. Looks like Lambholt is in good hands."

"Whatever," Mizuki scowled.

*o*o*o*o*

"Quickly, quickly, we don't have time to waste," Veldor repeated breathlessly for what must have been the dozenth time as he led Morrel, Mizuki, and a few Cathars across the pasture lands and toward the gloomy Ulvenwald Forest. Morrel panted to keep up as Veldor raced ahead on his Etherium-enhanced legs, easily vaulting over a low stone wall. Ignoring Mizuki's complaints about Veldor's speed, Morrel took quick inventory of the hunting party: from Lambholt's defense force came two men each carrying two razor-sharp rapiers and white cloaks worn over their sturdy leather armor, plus the guard captain with his longsword and crossbow. He wasn't the only one with long-range power: a hard-eyed woman with messy black hair and a green cloak over her hunter armor tagged along, an even larger and fancier-looking crossbow held tightly in her gloved hands. She spoke no words, but the guard captain had assured Morrel that the woman was the finest ranger on this side of Thraben.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" squawked a local shepherd, the brown-haired man flinching as Veldor raced past. His sheep babbled and drew back, threatening to panic and scatter as gray thunderclouds assembled overhead in the early evening twilight.

"Danger lurks. Get yourself and your charges in shelter!" Veldor called back. "And not just because it's the full moon! The werewolves have a new game to play."

"This man had better be on to something," warned the guard captain as Veldor arced toward the edge of Ulvenwald Forest. He licked his lips. "Or else we'll be cut off from the rest of the guard force when the werewolves show up, and I _don't _fancy that idea at all."

"Relax. Veldor is a superb investigator and improviser," Morrel assured the man, his throat slightly aching from inhaling cool, dry Kessig air as he ran. "He already has a lead or two. All that's left is to confirm it and eliminate the source."

The guard captain squinted. "And what might that source be?"

Mizuki interjected, "a dangerous being you'd better watch out for. We're not the only outsiders to visit Lambholt."

The guard captain looked decidedly off-put by that, until Veldor slowed down and crouched on the grassy terrain. "Wait!" he shouted. Morrel and the others gathered around the Esper artificer as he pointed to a set of impressions on the ground.

"What is it? Paw prints?" one of the rapier-wielders asked tensely. The archer woman distractedly fiddled with her crossbow behind him.

Veldor nodded, tracing his finger along the ground. "And that's not all. The prints of their new master."

Morrel's gut squirmed at the sight: a set of boot prints meandered along the dirt, the owner probably going at a casual pace at the time. Four sets of huge, wolf-like paw prints accompanied the boot prints.

"The werewolves were escorting the human footprints' owner," Veldor surmised. "Their tracks moved at the same casual pace as the person, and they go..." he glanced over his shoulder. "Straight into the forest." He bolted to his feet, clenching his Etherium left fist. "Let's move."

"Not so fast, metal man," insisted the guard captain, raising a gloved hand. The other guards looked at him. "We're going right into the lair of the enemy? No. You said it yourself: this unidentified human is consorting with werewolves, and those bootprints don't match any human to walk Kessig. We're dealing with something strange and probably deadly here!"

"Which is why we should find and take out the newcomer before he or she gets any more werewolf allies," Veldor shot back, stomping a foot. "And it's not moonrise yet! We have time still. The sun is with us."

The guard captain pointed. "That forest is bigger than you obviously think. It could take hours to locate the intruder! By which time, the night will have fallen. It's a fool's errand."

"In that case, load up the wagons," Veldor muttered.

"What?" Mizuki gawked.

Veldor's eyes flashed. "If we don't do something now, then Lambholt will fall and everyone must evacuate! I know what we're after here. Time is not on our side."

The guard captain opened his mouth to talk, but Morrel clapped his hand to the man's armored shoulder. "We are stronger than you know," Morrel assured him. "And we're quite familiar with what we're after. Now is the time for trust, not dissent."

"Very well." The guard captain tugged away from Morrel's hand but he continued, "then we march into the forest at your friend's command. But I need to get our must trusted agents with us first. They've been scouting in the forest and were about to come back to Lambholt, so we should regroup with them."

Unsure what to expect, Morrel steeled himself and pushed into Ulvenwald Forest with the others, his nerves tingling with the hundreds of new hiding places where monsters could lurk. The underbrush, clouds of mist, maple trees, and oaks all loomed around Morrel and silently dared him to venture further, which he did under Veldor's guidance. Seemingly fearless, Veldor pushed aside branches and bushes and checked every direction for Maretta and the werewolves. The sun sank even lower as they went, threatening the rise of the moon.

As the light level darkened even more, a sudden shuffling of leaves made Morrel flinch, but instead of monsters, a pair of men clad in billowing white robes slipped out of the foliage and saluted the guard captain. "We were just finishing our scouting. What brings you, sir?" one of them asked. Both men carried blunt stone axes with the Church of Avacyn symbol etched on them.

"Our new friend here believes he's on the trail of the werewolves' new master, an unknown human," the guard captain told them. "And I'm ordering you both to assist us. Who knows what we'll find?"

"Very well," the other scout said in a low voice, "but I'm sensing something bad close by. Really bad."

Everyone froze in place and the guard captain stiffened. "Where? Show me!"

Rather than speak, the scout reached out with his hand and issued a stream of ghostly green mana that materialized into a wreath of ethereal bodies that swirled around him like a halo. "They're sensing it," the scout growled, taking a few steps forward. "The source... the source..."

The man pushed past Morrel and jabbed his ax not at a monster lurking in the forest's depths, but straight at Mizuki. "Her! She is cursed!" he thundered. At once, the other scout hurried over and raised is ax to a combat posture, and the Lambholt guards drew their weapons and pointed them at Mizuki.

"Don't move, you!" the captain barked, bringing the tip of his sword close to Mizuki's face. "What are you hiding? What are you?"

"H-how dare you!" Mizuki snapped back, her enraged expression mingling with fear. She raised her hands. "Look! I'm not carrying anything! I mean to harm to you people!"

"Leave her be," Morrel warned the guards. "We have real enemies out there. Settle down."

The second scout worked his jaw. "Don't you order us around, outsider!" he rasped. He seized Mizuki's right arm with a meaty fist. "She is the danger!" And with that, he released a flood of white mana into Mizuki's arm, and Mizuki's arm swelled at once to full size, startling everyone in the group.

"Take her down!" the guard captain thundered, he and his men lashing their blades and axes right at Mizuki. Howling, Mizuki swept her giant hand at her adversaries, her talons bashing into the men and sending them sprawling. The archer woman took a step back and released an arrow, her expression feral. Mizuki flinched and drew back just in time, letting the arrow thud into a nearby tree trunk. Unfazed, the remaining guards slashed their weapons at Mizuki again, drawing blood on her giant arm.

Blood pounding in his ears, Morrel intercepted one of the rapier warriors, seizing the man's arms and throwing him hard against the guard captain. Both men tumbled to the leafy forest floor, and Morrel snapped out a kick that blasted the ax out of one of the scout's hands. "Let's go!" Morrel barked, tugging on Mizuki's hand. "Veldor can lead the way!"

"He'd better!" Mizuki growled, tearing through the misty forest with Morrel after Veldor. The three of them scrambled through the dark sylvan depths, and Morrel could hear the guards giving chase.

"This should attract Maretta's attention rather easily!" Veldor panted. "If we find her and the werwolves, we should get back to the open plains where the werwolves can't ambush us! They are in their element within this forest."

The words barely left his mouth when a large, hulking shape flashed past, low growls suddenly filling the air. More dark forms flitted among the trees, panting and snarling as they went. "So, is that the attention you wanted?" Mizuki asked dryly.

Veldor vaulted over an upraised tree root. "Yes! Now get back to Lambholt! Fast!" He turned sharply in the direction of the pasture town, ignoring the werewolves closing in. Morrel could hear the animals' claws scraping against tree roots and almost felt their hot breath on his skin, but he clenched his fists and stuck close to Veldor, with Mizuki right behind him.

"I thought we were going to deal with Maretta and the werewolves here in the forest?" Morrel demanded.

"This way, we know where the werewolves will come from, since they're chasing us. Takes away their ambush tactics and element of surprise," Veldor called back over his shoulder. "We'll have an advantage in the open plains around Lambholt. Must keep the battle away from Lambholt."

"Stop!" shouted another voice a minute later as the guard captain and his crew moved to intercept Morrel's group. "Marie is gone! My ranger! We have to find her!"

"She must be a werewolf, then!" Veldor called out. "Ever think of that?"

"She... can't be!" the captain shouted back, but his and Mizuki's differences lay forgotten as the humans tore through the forest. "Not her..."

"Anyone can become a monster," Veldor called back as the trees started to thin and the moonlit Lambholt started to come into view. The sound of the pursuing werewolves grew ever louder. "Remember that."

"Perhaps I should," the guard captain lamented. "Whatever the case, we make our final stand at Lambholt against the darkness as we are sworn to do."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Razorverge Thicket, Incinerate, Kessig Wolf, Forest (Jung Park), Plains (Eytam Zana), Hamlet Captain, Elite Inquisitor, Daybreak Ranger, Gatstaf Shepherd, Fiend Hunter, Wreath of Geists**

**A/N: **I'll be going out of town soon on a vacation so my next update might take a while to post.


	30. Chapter 30

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 30**

All the other natural sounds of the forest fell silent, the wild animals cowering in the foliage as snarling, huffing werewolves tore through the underbrush after the fleeing humans. Morrel gasped lungfuls of cold Kessig air but forced himself to keep moving despite the burning in his legs and the dryness of his throat. _Veldor's right: the werewolves must be in their element here. We have to reach the open fields!_

Ahead of him, Morrel saw Mizuki nimbly prancing from one branch to another, her bare feet easily springing off the tree branches. Not even her giant right arm slowed her down, and she broke free of the Ulvenwald Forest and scampered across the edge of a farm, whipping around to face her fellows. "Hurry!" she shouted. "I can see them behind you!"

_Well, that's a charming thought! _Morrel griped to himself. He vaulted over an upraised tree root and scrambled to the forest edge, but the loud scampering of a bulky werewolf grew even louder. Morrel's heart seemed to freeze as a heavy, warm furry body crashed on top of him, curved claws starting to dig into his leather vest. Morrel held back a cry as the monster's claws dug into his skin, causing flashes of pain on his ribs and a sudden oozing of blood under his shirt. Unable to see, Morrel let himself fall onto his back on the leafy forest floor, the black fur of his assailant pressing against his face.

With a loud yipe, the werewolf suddenly scampered to the side, at once releasing the pressure on Morrel's chest. Gasping and wincing, he rose to a sitting position and watched Veldor push the black-furred werewolf back with his Etherium sword blade. Oddly, the werewolf had human clothing on, a hunter's jacket stretched thin across the beast's bulky chest and wide shoulders. Morrel recognized the jacket. _That belonged to the ranger on the town guard's team! She's one of them!_

"Are you hurt, Morrel?" Veldor called over as he swung his blade back and forth, forcing the werewolf to back up another few steps.

"Y-yeah, just a little," Morrel called back, staggering to his feet. "Need any help?"

"No. Get to the open field with the others!" Veldor snapped back. The black werewolf slapped aside Veldor's metal left hand with its paw, staggering Veldor for a second. Taking its chance, the werewolf lunged and pinned Veldor to the ground, snapping its sharp fangs in his face. Screwing his face in concentration, Veldor lashed out with an Etherium-enhanced leg, knocking the werewolf's left leg out and nearly breaking the knee. Whimpering, the werewolf backed off and Veldor sprang to his feet, brandishing his left arm. Three razor-edged metal disks flitted into the air, gashing the werewolf as they passed.

"I said _go_!" Veldor bellowed, and Morrel flinched when he realized that he had stood there to watch, transfixed.

Getting back to his senses, Morrel dashed through the last stretch of forest and reached the open fields, grateful for the wide open space. Hundreds of stars and the full moon glowed overhead where the clouds didn't obscure them, but the nearby town of Lambholt was pitch-dark, the better to keep its location hidden from monsters.

"Regroup! Cover all blind spots!" the guard captain announced as he and his remaining men caught up. He stood to face the forest, his sword drawn. Nearby, the two rapier-soldiers covered his side flanks while the two ax-wielding clerics took up positions on the rear flank, letting Morrel and Mizuki move where they pleased.

Gleeful laughter wafted from the forest, and the guard captain froze. "Is that... a woman?"

"I pity you folks, I really do," gloated a familiar woman as she confidently strode out of the forest, her mana whip in hand. The whip's cord split into several thin strands, each connected to the neck of various werewolves that trotted alongside the woman.

"What is this? Is she controlling them?" muttered the guard captain. He raised his voice and demanded to Morrel and Mizuki, "Visitors! Do you know what is going on here?"

"Oh, they know all about me," Maretta called over, "but it'll do no good! I love this Plane. There's so many fun monsters to convert into war hounds."

"Get out of here or we'll slay you along with the werewolves!" boomed the guard captain. "Your lunacy ends tonight!"

Morrel edged a little closer to the guard captain. "She has few fighting skills herself, but her whip can control animals and people, and even enhance their abilities. These are no ordinary werewolves."

"Enhanced werewolves?" the guard captain repeated, aghast, but he turned back to Maretta when the werewolves tore across the open fields, the huge full moon hovering over them like a watchful eye. An eerie mist started to creep from the ground, partly obscuring the approaching werewolves.

"What's going on?" Mizuki tensed. "This mist..."

"It's the moonmist. Appears with the full moon!" the guard captain told her tightly. He swung his sword's silver blade through the air as a pair of bulky, brown-furred werewolves pounced on him, claws outstretched for the kill. One werewolf yipped as the captain's blade sliced across its forearm, but the other knocked him away with its wide paw, sending the captain sprawling. Acting fast, one cleric thrust out his ax's blunt edge and the Avacyn symbol on his ax began to glow a soft blue-white color. At once, a shimmering dome of white mana erupted from the ground, shielding the guard captain and the others from the werewolves. The werewolves snarled as their claws and teeth bounced off the mana shield, giving the captain time to recover.

_Wait. Veldor's still in the forest! _Morrel realized with a jolt. _But then, maybe he can take Maretta by surprise that way! Maybe that is his plan?_

Maretta took a few steps closer. "Very nice trick!" she applauded. "But that's not nearly enough." She twitched her Whip of Thegns and her werewolf minions howled in unison, raising their paws as one. The mana dome flickered and wobbled as werewolf claws repeatedly hammered its ethereal surface, and Morrel tensed as the shield evaporated under the strain. At once, a trio of werewolves launched themselves against the humans while the rest hung back to defend Maretta.

Not saying a word, one cleric raised his stone ax and a blinding beam of white mana issued forth, catching a werewolf in its chest. As Morrel dodged another werewolf's attack and Mizuki evaded the third's claws, the first werewolf snarled as a cocoon of white mana appeared and defended the monster. The cleric's mana beam sizzled and sputtered against the shield, but then the other cleric conjured a second beam and added it to the first. The werewolf howled in agony as the combined beams punched through its shield and vaporized its flesh, sending the smoking beast crumpling to the grass.

"How dare you!" Maretta shrieked. She lashed her whip's tendrils through the air, and then a pair of brown-furred werewolves pounced and sank their claws into the clerics. Both clerics shouted as the monsters tore them apart with sharp talons, and the guard captain flicked his blade through the air in anger.

"Take her out! She's the primary threat!" the captain barked, pointing his blade at the smirking Maretta. The two rapier-men kept the werewolves back with their elaborate swordplay, but they struggled to get closer to Maretta. Eager to help, Morrel charged after one brown werewolf, taking out two knives and hurling them at the monster. The werewolf snarled as the two knives sank into its brawny left arm, and then Morrel clapped his hands together, channeling his small reserve of red mana into the blades. The werewolf was tossed back from a pair of sudden explosions, giving the rapier-man a chance to sink his blades into the monster's chest.

_Got it! _Morrel told himself, but he recoiled as the werewolf slowly staggered to its feet, its wounds starting to seal themselves with raw green mana. _No way! _Morrel gawked. _Self-healing! It's like that technique Rohkan uses. _Alarmed, the rapier-man lashed his blades out and countered a few blows from the werewolf, but he cried out as the monster landed a blow on his shoulder. Then, the werewolf sank its teeth into the man's neck and shoulder, crushing his flesh in its powerful jaws.

Infuriated, Morrel leaped after the werewolf and swung his heel through the air, smashing his booted heel on top of the werewolf's head. Recoiling from the sudden blow, the werewolf slashed back with its talons, one paw after the other. Morrel ducked and dodged the blows as they came, but he winced as the werewolf's claws grazed his arm and drew blood. Its nostrils flaring at the scent of blood, the werewolf pounced for the kill, its jaws wide open with a howl.

Quickly, Morrel slammed his open palms onto the ground and flooded the earth with his green, white, and blue mana. At once, huge, jagged crystals shot out of the earth and encased the werewolf's arms and neck like a crystalline pillory. The werewolf snarled and strained against the crystals, and cracks started to split the crystals apart.

"Now!" Morrel shouted, and Mizuki, hearing the call for aid, joined the fray and swung her giant right arm through the air. Her arm's fingers closed around the trapped werewolf's neck and Mizuki's talons tore into the werewolf's neck, causing the monster to convulse once and then go limp.

"Great work, getting it set up for me," Mizuki smiled bracingly. She offered Morrel her normal left hand and Morrel accepted it, getting back to his feet. Mizuki already had bruises on her mismatched arms and cuts on her legs and chest, but she showed no sign of exhaustion.

The other werewolves howled in victory as the guard captain fell, and Morrel recoiled at the sight. Not only the captain, but the other Lambholt defenders had gone down too, victims of the werewolves. Another of the werewolves had been killed by the Cathars, but Maretta stood proudly as her four remaining werewolves gathered around her. "You can't stand against me," she taunted Morrel and Mizuki. "You're both too young to throw your lives away defying Azrael! Run and hide on your home Planes, or I'll drag your bodies to Azrael as proof of your foolishness!"

_We beat her once, we can beat her again!_ Morrel thought defiantly, and the look in Mizuki's eyes proved that she thought much the same. Morrel readied himself as the werewolves charged as a pack, their jaws open for the kill. Mizuki pointed her cursed hand's finger and a lance of vicious black mana caught a small werewolf in its chest, throwing the beast back with a smoking patch on its skin. Unfettered, the other werewolves encircled Morrel and Mizuki and attacked as one, claws and fangs flashing through the air. Dodging one werewolf's attack, Morrel drove his fist into another werewolf's chest, and a hard kick at the same spot forced the werewolf back. Another werewolf swung at Morrel's blind spot, only to fall back as Mizuki's black mana tentacles pierced its hide.

"Come on, you dogs!" Mizuki dared the werewolves as they recovered and resumed the offensive. Her talons swung toward a werwolf's head, but this time, a cocoon of white mana blocked the talon strike and another werewolf caught Mizuki from behind, throwing her to the ground with a heavy paw strike.

Morrel reached out his hand, conjuring a shield of blue-white mana to protect Mizuki from the werewolves. Getting back to her feet, Mizuki drove a werewolf back with her talons and injured another with her black mana tentacles. Morrel hurled a knife into another werewolf's neck and fueled it with the last of his red mana, and the resulting explosion sent the crippled werewolf to the ground in a furry heap.

"Let's go!" Morrel shouted as he strained his mana reserves, using up most of his remaining white mana to encase another werewolf with his ring of oblivion. The ring struggled against a shield of white mana that Maretta put around the werewolf, but the diversion still worked. Breaking free from the confused werewolves, both Morrel and Mizuki tore across the open field toward an alarmed Maretta, prepared to finish the fight. However, Maretta smiled as her personal white mana shield blocked Mizuki's talons and Morrel's fists, and her nimble dodging and prancing kept her safe whenever he shield failed her.

_Damn her! _Morrel cursed as Maretta slipped away from his kick, and Maretta's counter-kick caught Morrel on the temple. His head ringing, Morrel stumbled back from the blow and dimly watched Mizuki swing her claws after Maretta, missing again and again.

"You can't catch me, kids!" Maretta taunted gleefully as she evaded another of Mizuki's blows. "And my werewolves are coming back to – aaaaargh!"

Like a phantom, Veldor erupted from the darkness and slammed his metal fist into Maretta's back with a heavy thump. Caught off-guard, Maretta snarled as she nearly fell over, barely hanging on to her whip. Veldor's Etherium blade slid out of his left arm, and the blade rapidly hammered Maretta's mana shield again and again. Getting the idea, Mizuki gouged her talons against Maretta's shield and caused it to flicker under the strain. Snarling, Maretta shot out a new thread of her whip at Veldor, but the tendril merely bounced off Veldor's armored body as soon as it came close.

"My Etherium shields me from your whip's magic," Veldor told her sternly. "It's useless!" His blade slammed against Maretta's shield yet again, weakening it further.

"Then I'll try something else!" Maretta retorted. She somersaulted back to avoid further damage, and then her werewolves caught up and formed a barrier between her and her assailants. The ring of oblivion was gone by now.

"Sorry if I took a while to return," Veldor told Morrel and Mizuki, his breathing hard. "But I defeated that werewolf back in the forest as soon as I could."

"Well, I hope you have strength left over," Morrel warned him. "Because we have werewolf issues here."

Veldor nodded tightly. "I can conjure my armor suit, but only if I get enough time to concentrate."

"It's worth a try," Morrel told him, recalling the huge, mana-powered suit of Etherium armor Veldor had used against Rohkan on Lorwyn. _That armor suit was twice the size of a normal person and offered Veldor incredible protection, but werewolves are fast, _Morrel thought. _Veldor will need Mizuki and I to keep the werewolves off him while he sets it up. Well, I've got a few knives left and just enough mana for another crystal formation. Then Mizuki can –_

"Yaaah!" Maretta cried as she flicked her whip, causing all four werewolves to charge. Veldor leaped back and encased himself in a shield of blue, black, and white mana to begin conjuring his Etherium power suit, while Morrel and Mizuki took up defensive positions.

"Nice try!" Maretta gloated. "But I don't think so!"

The werewolves clustered around Morrel and Mizuki and started swinging. Morrel ducked one werewolf's claws and kicked its arm away, then rolled to evade the bite of another werewolf. Nearby, Mizuki bashed one werewolf back with her giant arm and she nimbly leaped away from another werewolf's claws.

_There, just a little longer, _Morrel thought as Veldor's mana intensified. _Then we can – what?_

At once, Morrel felt his entire body go light as though he had become a feather. His stomach clenching with sudden unease, Morrel squirmed his limbs to keep steady, but his arms and legs refused to move. _I'm paralyzed! _Morrel thought in a panic. _But that's ridiculous! How could I suddenly... no, it can't be..._

"You're mine now, Morrel!" Maretta sneered as her werewolves backed away from Morrel. A tendril of blue mana ran from her whip's handle all the way past Morrel's vision.

Morrel's eyes bugged out. _She used the werewolves as a diversion! A thread of her whip latched onto my neck and now I'm under her control. _His mind flashed back to the battle in the Jukai Forest on Kamigawa, when Maretta had controlled local forest Kami and dead samurai bodies with her whip. Not only that, but Mizuki herself had fallen under Maretta's power, and Mizuki's hellish assault on Morrel had nearly taken his life. Morrel forced himself to glance at a startled-looking Mizuki. "Get away! She'll make me attack you!"

True to his word, Morrel felt his body suddenly move. He tensed his legs and sprang at Mizuki like a pouncing werewolf, arms outstretched. Alarm clear on her face, Mizuki side-stepped the attack and watched warily as Morrel landed heavily on all fours. _Damn you, Maretta! _Morrel raged in his mind as he strained to control his limbs, but his brain felt increasingly numb and his body moved by Maretta's will. Shivers ran down his spine as raw mana flooded into him from Maretta's whip, and at once, clusters of crystals emerged from Morrel's hand and spread across the cool grass.

Mizuki pushed off the ground with her brawny right arm to avoid the crystals, but she yelped in shock as one crystal shot upwards like a tree and encased her right arm like a vise. More crystals spiked upwards and secured Mizuki's legs too, leaving her squirming in the crystal formations.

"Shatter them!" Morrel yelled as he felt himself stand up and reach for a knife in his overcoat. "Before I cut your throat!"

"I'm... trying!" Mizuki yelled, baring her teeth as she strained against the crystals. Snapping out her free left arm, she channeled thick wisps of black mana and conjured dozens of tentacles from the crystallized ground. The tentacles lashed out, wrapping around the tallest crystals and tightening. The crystals creaked and cracked against the strain, but Morrel leaped high into the air and ran up the tall crystals with a knife in hand.

Mizuki shouted with effort as she poured even more black mana into her tentacles, sweat trailing down her reddening face. With a loud series of crackles, the crystals shattered like glass and Mizuki jumped out of Morrel's way just in time. Morrel felt himself land on the broken crystals where Mizuki had been, knife still tight in his hand.

"Oh, you clever girl!" Maretta commented, adjusting her whip. "Then try this!"

Morrel extended both hands and two rings of oblivion popped into existence close to Mizuki, vaporizing large chunks of the ground with their arcane power. Yelping in alarm, Mizuki leaped and rolled all over the place as Morrel hurled more and more rings everywhere, each one coming closer to the elusive Mizuki. Over a dozen rings hovered in large holes in the ground, the dirt banished from existence.

_No way could I make that many rings! _Morrel gawked. _Maretta can unleash my full potential as long as she controls me! Same with the crystals... I doubt I could make that much at once, especially when tired like this._

Mizuki growled as she landed on the earth again, flinging more mana tentacles into the air. This time, the tendrils shot toward Maretta but a werewolf slipped into harm's way, howling as the tentacles impaled its body. The werewolf slumped to the ground.

"Fine, then I'll just do _this_," Maretta snapped, twitching her whip. At once, Morrel lifted his knife and turned the blade to point at himself, slowly bringing the point closer.

_No! No! _Morrel's mind raced, but he could not feel his body responding to his mind at all. However, he could feel a sudden leak of warm blood as the knife dragged its sharp edge along his chest, and felt a thrill of agony as the blade sliced across his left thigh. _She's making me tear myself apart!_

"Stop it, witch!" Mizuki howled, breathing hard as she conjured more mana tendrils at Maretta. This time, Maretta let her white mana shield take the blows, but Maretta was noticeably sweating and panting as she raised her barrier.

_She's getting tired! _Morrel realized, but he still felt his knife draw wounds at random spots on his body. "Mizuki, stop me!" _This freakin' hurts!_

"Keep away or he dies!" Maretta barked as Mizuki started to approach Morrel. A second later, Morrel pointed the knife at his belly, daring Mizuki to come closer.

Maretta cocked her head. "You know what? That's enough games. Here goes!"

"Yaaaarrrgh!" Morrel gritted as he sank his blade into his own belly, white-hot pain flooding his whole body. He had felt his arms guide the knife to his throat, but Maretta's spell slipped a little, and he barely managed to divert the blow to his chest instead. He felt himself go limp as he collapsed to the ground, unable to move. "M-Mizuki..." he croaked, unsure what to even say. _Tell her to attack Maretta? To attack the whip cord? What can she do? I'm the one with the naturalizing spell! And Veldor had better hurry up! Maretta's spell is weakening, but I can't move, either!_

"Morrel!" Mizuki raced toward her friend, ignoring the three surviving werewolves as they charged after Veldor. She knelt by his side, frantically running her normal left hand along Morrel's wounded body, her face contorted with worry. "Come on, can you get up? Please, get back up! Don't die on me!"

"Ch-chatty, aren't you?" Morrel wheezed, his body still paralyzed. "Maretta isn't moving me anymore, but I-I can't move yet." He coughed and felt alarm as blood leaked from his mouth. His glasses slid down his sweaty nose as he closed his eyes, focusing on conserving his strength.

Panting, Mizuki slowly stood back up, fury twisting her face. "You did this! To my friend!" she howled at Maretta, whirling to face the whip woman.

"And he's going to bleed out in just a second," Maretta taunted Mizuki. "Better say your goodbyes to your friends! That Etherium man won't last long against my minions."

Mizuki chanced a glance back; Veldor had conjured a mana shield to deflect the werewolves' attacks, but the shield grew dimmer after every blow. Then she looked back at Morrel, bleeding and lying on his side on the grassy earth. Her blood pounding in her ears, Mizuki bared her teeth as she raised her cursed right arm to eye level, flexing her claws. Torrents of black mana filled every cell of the cursed arm, and Mizuki's mind buzzed with the thought of tearing Maretta apart.

A cry on her lips, Mizuki pounced and slashed her claws through the air, aimed right at Maretta's head. Alarmed, Maretta backed up and let her white shield take the blow, but the mana cocoon flickered feebly against the heavy blow. Shouting another incoherent cry, Mizuki jabbed her talons again and grazed Maretta's side, drawing blood. Encouraged by the sight of blood, Mizuki swung her arm again but hit only empty air as Maretta dodged the attack. Reaching out with her left arm, Mizuki drew dozens of black mana tendrils from the ground. Maretta pranced and twisted to let the tendrils shoot past her, but she yelped as a few tendrils pierced her body. Taking her chance, Mizuki shot her giant right arm through the air, easily catching Maretta and pinning her to the ground.

"You'll die for what you did!" Mizuki barked in Maretta's terrified face. "And if Morrel does die, I'll hunt down everyone in your family and kill them too! And all your friends! And everyone you've ever liked and loved!"

"You're an animal!" Maretta hissed against the pressure on her chest. "A-are you going to k-kill so many? Is your curse controlling you that much? No wonder you travel with that noble boy Morrel. H-he's keeping you on a leash!"

"That's not –!" Mizuki started, but she flinched as Maretta's words hit home. She released the pressure on Maretta's chest, stumbling back and falling on her rear as the Kami curse's power boost started to fade. _Maretta has to die! She's working with Azrael! But... if I kill in rage and bloodlust, will that make my curse worse? Is Morrel's influence the only thing keeping me from rampaging across the Multiverse at this point? _Shaken, she stared at her giant right arm. _The curse is getting worse, isn't it? Maybe it's entered another stage of growth! Just how much time do I have left before I'm totally consumed to rage and violence? _She felt a clench of terror in her gut, but swallowed and forced the sensation away. _No. There's still a chance! I'm not alone like I used to be!_

Right on cue, Veldor blasted all three werewolves away as his Etherium armor suit materialized one piece at a time. Bronze and silver-colored armor encased his arms, then plates assembled on his chest from neck to hips. Shin guards and leggings plated themselves on Veldor's legs, increasing his height by two feet. Finally, a heavy helmet sat comfortably on his head, and flexible tubes ran from the helmet to all the pieces of his armor, fueling them with white, blue, and black mana. The werewolves backed up a little, growling against the suddenly-huge Veldor.

"Too bad, werewolves," Veldor stated flatly as his giant Etherium fists smashed the werewolves aside, sending them flying through the air. In one spring, Veldor landed right in front of Maretta, towering over her. "It's done, Maretta!" he thundered. "You can't run or fight back!"

Maretta took a step back, defiance clear on her face. "You haven't... beaten me!" she retorted. "None of you can take me down!" She lashed her whip through the air again, the cord condensing into two threads; one lifted Morrel to his feet, and the other latched itself onto Mizuki's neck. Both Morrel and Mizuki staggered toward the armored Veldor, raising their arms to launch an attack.

Veldor fought back a grim smile. "Too late," he told Maretta, flooding his giant armored fists with chaotic blue, white, and black mana. He swung both fists down with all his might, crashing them both down right on Maretta in a fierce explosion of concentrated mana and blunt force. The very ground shuddered as Veldor's twin blows smashed down and unleashed the chaotic mana, and the threads on Morrel and Mizuki evaporated as Maretta succumbed to the blow.

Morrel, despite his bleeding wounds and aching head, stared in amazement as Veldor's mana explosion faded and left only a charred crater. He coughed and shouted over, "Did you get her?" His dozen oblivion rings vanished on the spot.

His Etherium armor suit creaking, Veldor turned to face Morrel and Mizuki. "With one blow," he reported. "Maretta felt no pain. Clean, quick finishing move. We have won."

"You don't say," Mizuki chuckled tensely, her right arm shrinking back to normal. Her legs trembled. "So, um... can we stay in Lambholt for a while? Morrel and I need medical care. Especially him."

"Oh, it's not that bad," Morrel laughed, then winced as his wounds flared again and he fell to his knees. "O-okay, maybe it is that bad..." _At least Maretta is gone! We did it!_

Veldor lurched over in his giant armor suit, but Mizuki reached Morrel first, kneeling by his side. "Don't talk," she urged him gently, taking his shoulders in her hands. "You've lost a lot of blood, and you might go into shock. Just let Veldor carry you into Lambholt so the healers there can get to work on you."

"I-I appreciate the concern," Morrel stuttered back with a feeble smile. "And it's darn good that Veldor helped out in time."

"Yeah, he gets the credit for this one," Mizuki agreed with a quick nod.

"Very much so." Morrel's mouth twitched with a quick smile. "C-could you do me a tiny f-favor before we go?"

"Anything." Mizuki tightened he grip on Morrel's shoulders, her eyes tender.

"Could you retrieve my thrown knives? I left some behind on Ravnica a-and I don't want to lose any more."

Mizuki's face fell in both exasperation and amusement. "Oh, fine."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Forest (Jung Park), Nightfall Predator, Plains (Eytam Zana), Hamlet Captain, Elite Inquisitor, Fiend Hunter, Moonmist, Ulvenwald Primordials, Spare from Evil, Smite the Monstrous, Withstand, Crystallization, Tendrils of Corruption, Hindering Light, Oblivion Ring**


	31. Chapter 31

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 31**

The first thing Morrel felt when he woke up wasn't just his aching head or tired muscles, but a large, heavy item resting right by his side on the bed he lay on. Morrel blinked his eyes open, staring at the wooden ceiling of the room with morning light filling the room through the window. Memories of the struggle against Maretta filled his mind and his stomach squirmed. _Mizuki and I nearly lost our lives back there, and only Veldor's Etherium armor suit saved us. We'd better continue to better ourselves before heading out again. _He shook his head, blinking again. _It's already morning, and Veldor probably wants to see Mizuki and I right away. What is that thing on my bed?_

Morrel sat upright and recoiled when he saw Mizuki sitting cross-legged on his bed right next to him, beaming impishly. "Took you forever to get up," she glowed. "I didn't know you were such a heavy sleeper!"

"How long have you been sitting there?" Morrel winced, aware that he wore bandages on his chest but was shirtless. _All I remember is collapsing into Lambholt. I guess Veldor took care of the rest while I was unconscious. Is this the Lambholt infirmary?_

"Oh, not long," Mizuki said slyly, drumming her fingers on her knees. "I got up just under an hour ago, and I haven't seen Veldor around yet so I came in here."

"To wake me up?"

Mizuki shrugged. "Eventually. But it's kind of fun to watch you sleep, too. You mutter all kinds of funny things in your sleep."

Morrel tried not to blush. "That's... that's intrusive! Sitting here while I'm in bed?" _Back home in Akrasa, she'd be disciplined for violating my privacy!_

"Don't be so uptight about it," Mizuki laughed, patting a hand on Morrel's knee. "We're friends! Besides, it was kind of cute watching you sleep."

Morrel wasn't sure, but he imagined his shade of red doubling. "You don't mean that."

"Oh, maybe I do."

"You're messing with me." Morrel resisted an embarrassed grin as he groped around his bedside table for his glasses, wishing he had his shirt on.

"Am not."

"Where's Veldor, anyway?"

"He went to scout the area a little for something, then went to the town's edge to wait for Zoira to Planeswalk here. I think we should go over there and join him. He doesn't like people being late." Mizuki swung her legs over the bed's edge and walked to the door, swinging it back open with a creak. "By the way..."

Morrel slid his glasses onto his face. "Yes?"

Mizuki started out the door. "You look way better with your glasses off. Just saying."

Dumbfounded, Morrel stared as Mizuki turned a corner and vanished from sight, then resisted the impulse to take his glasses back off and check himself in a mirror. _My eyesight is crappy without my glasses, and I like having them! _He climbed out of bed, finding his shirt and leather vest folded on top of a simple dresser. As he slipped his long-sleeved shirt back on, he remembered seeing a suggestive smile on Mizuki's face right before she had left the room.

*o*o*o*o*

"There you guys are! Glad you're here," Zoira greeted Morrel and Mizuki warmly as they stepped out of Lambholt's streets and to the town gates. Veldor stood nearby, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Anxious to find another Sphere fragment?" Morrel suggested. A light wind picked up, ruffling the grassy plains as flocks of sheep wandered about at their shepherds' guidance.

Zoira shivered. "Not only that, but to get away from Innistrad. I can't stand this Plane. So cold and creepy."

"You think it's bad? Try getting dragged off by Ludevic's minions," Mizuki commented, hands on her hips. "So you finished your scouting mission on Zendikar, Zoira?"

"That I did." Zoira's face darkened somewhat. "And I can confirm that the last unclaimed Sphere of Ages fragment is there, based on the currents of mana and the Roil. Zendikar is a place of powerful, primal magic and wild terrain, but even there, the unnatural power of the Sphere fragments stands out. My scouting mission has become a retrieval mission."

Morrel offered a bracing smile. "Mizuki and I will do all we can to help."

"Thank you." Zoira dipped her head.

Mizuki squinted. "You seem upset about this. It's your beloved home Plane we're going to, isn't it?"

"Yes, but Zendikar isn't how it should be," Zoira told them heavily, starting to wander away from Lambholt's gate. "The Roil is getting even feistier than usual, and the land is reacting vehemently to something terrible. I believe that dangerous, powerful monsters are starting to appear and upset the natural balance."

_Oh, we're walking away from Lambholt so the villagers won't see us Planeswalk, _Morrel realized. "I'm sorry, but what's this 'Roil' you're talking about? And how can the land react to anything? It's just terrain."

A small smile crept on Zoira's lips. "Oh, the things you haven't seen, kid..."

"Will this disturbance be a problem?" Morrel persisted. _From the monsters of Kamigawa to the storms of Esper to the horrors of Innistrad, what else can I possibly encounter?_

"It may hinder us, but Zendikar is my home. Nothing will stop me from getting what I want," Zoira told him, a sudden fire in her eyes. She ran her fingers over one of her pointed ears. "I am an elf of the Tajuru tribe. While you're with me, everything will be fine."

"I have little doubt," Morrel smiled. His face fell and he turned to Veldor. "Will you come with us?"

Apparently snapping out of a reverie, Veldor whipped his gaze to Morrel. "What? Uh, no, actually, work to do elsewhere, can't go. Zoira is proficient at wilderness navigation, unlike myself, and I have to double-check the Sphere shards back on Bant, very important to maintain their secrecy..."

Zoira burst out laughing, a light and melodious sound. "You stumble over your words more than a drunken fool! Or have you actually discovered the joys of alcohol?"

Veldor flinched, his cheeks burning. "N-no, not interested in alcohol, does terrible things to Etherium bodily enhancements. I explained my plan clearly enough. Didn't I?"

Zoira stopped in place, fists on her hips. She tossed her twin braided ponytails. "You, my friend, do _not _have enough experience talking to others! Spending all that time talking to yourself in Esper's artificer labs has taken its toll. Meet new people already! There's a big Multiverse out there."

"Th-there is, yes. Something to consider," Veldor nodded anxiously. "Work on being friendly. To you. And, um, to others, of course. I want to be nicer to you, Zoira, if I practice. A-and to everyone else!"

A smile tugged at the Zendikar elf's lips. "Keep trying, Veldor. And yes, if we survive this quest against Azrael, I'd be more than happy to show you the more social aspects of the Planes. Wherever you go, there's always nice people to meet."

"A new quest. Excellent," Veldor agreed. "With you. Wonderful. New experience."

"What's so funny?" Morrel muttered in Mizuki's ear as Mizuki started giggling behind her hand.

"That Veldor is crazy in love with Zoira. So obvious," she muttered back. "But he's a total weirdo! Much more so than you."

Morrel worked his jaw. "And what does that say about me?"

"I was only kidding..."

"All right, then!" Zoira's loud declaration snapped everyone's attention to her. "Morrel, Mizuki, we're off to Zendikar. Veldor, you get back to Bant to check on our two hidden Sphere shards. Time's not on our side. Azrael might be on the hunt for this Sphere shard, too. We'd better watch out for him and any other minions he has with him."

_Maretta's dead and Rohkan ran off, _Morrel thought. _But still, Azrael has many other allies out there, from General Olwart's Kithkin army on Lorwyn to the Golgari and Izzet guilds on Ravnica. I wonder what kind of people this Zendikar world has?_

Veldor vanished in a flash of blue, white, and dark purple mana, and Zoira rubbed her hands together. "Same plan as when you arrived on Innistrad, Mizuki. Your Planeswalking is erratic and unpredictable, so you'll 'walk onto Zendikar ahead of me. Wherever you land on Zendikar, I'll come right after you. Trust me, Zendikar is no place for us to get separated. We'd probably never see each other again were that to happen."

"Okay," Mizuki swallowed nervously. "So you'll lead me to Zendikar in the Blind Eternities?"

"Of course," Zoira assured her. "Ready to go?"

Mizuki nodded. "Yeah. Ready." She held out her arm and Morrel took her hand to link himself with her once she Planeswalked.

As Zoira gathered a fierce red gate of mana around herself, Zoira made a bemused smile. "Mizuki's told me about your passenger arrangement for Planeswalking. It's a shame you can't see the Blind Eternities the way Planeswalkers do! It's a unique and wild place."

"I know. Don't rub it in," Morrel said defensively, but he really didn't mind that much. Zoira vanished as her red mana gate to the Blind Eternities imploded, and Morrel's conscious mind faded to black as Mizuki joined her.

*o*o*o*o*

When Morrel next awoke, he was falling. Fast. And crashing into things.

"Ouch! Argh! Off!" Hard impacts punished his arms and legs as he tumbled through a sudden burst of tree branches and leaves, his clothes starting to tear from the sharp thorns and twigs of the trees. The air felt humid and thick, and Morrel dimly heard a cacophony of animal noises all around him, but he focused only on trying to control his fall. _I never know where I'll end up! At least I'm not drowning in a lake or something. _Baring his teeth, Morrel let himself fall toward a thick, curvy branch and seized the rough bark with his scrabbling hands, his legs dangling as he held himself in a chin-up position.

Ignoring his throbbing aches, Morrel glanced down and saw a soft layer of earth only ten feet or so below him, so he released his grip and fell flat onto his back on the ground. Morrel clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from rattling, making sure to spread out the force of impact evenly through his body. He lay there for a moment, spread-eagled and staring up at the jungle above him. Thick, twisted trees and their branches curled through the air with small mushrooms, ferns, and flowering plants growing on them. Suddenly, the sounds of the forest sounded much louder: the loud caws of birds, the chirping and buzzing of insects, the rustling of large animals, and the wailing and hooting of bizarre creatures all filled Morrel's ears. _By __the Angels! This place is astounding!_

"There you are. I thought we had gotten separated already!" Mizuki's voice called out, and the Kamigawa Planeswalker swept aside several large ferns, approaching Morrel with a small smile on her face. "And what are you doing down there?"

Morrel groaned. "I fell all the way down here. It's amazing that I didn't break anything."

"Me too," Mizuki shrugged, sitting next to Morrel. She tossed a lock of her messy black hair. "But it helps to have a giant clawed arm to navigate the trees with."

"Handy," Morrel muttered.

A minute later, a tall ring of blazing red mana materialized in the humid air and Zoira strolled through, her eyes dancing. "Good, we're all together," she commented, clapping her hands together. "We're having a good start."

"Not for Morrel," Mizuki said slyly. "He fell all the way down here and got banged up."

"Did you _have _to mention that?" Morrel complained.

"At least no predators found you," Zoira commented, offering a hand to help Morrel up.

"What kind of predators?" Morrel asked, accepting Zoira's hand and getting to his feet.

The elf shrugged. "Oh, wandering surrakar, baloths, timbermaw larvae, vampire hunting squads, carnivorous oozes..."

"I get the picture." Morrel looked around. "So, this is Zendikar?"

"Part of it," Zoira elaborated, extending her arms to span the whole place. "The continent of Murasa, home of the Tajuru elves like myself! It's mostly forest along with some rocky cliffs and valleys, plus a fair number of ancient ruins. Well, there's always the Kazuul road, but an ogre taskmaster rules it. We'll avoid it."

Morrel checked his cloak for tears. "And the Sphere fragment is here?"

"I hope so," Mizuki interjected. "Remember that I can't control my Planeswalks that well. I rarely show up exactly where I want to, but I could sense the fragment's familiar magic while arriving in this Plane. It should be close."

Zoira smiled. "Great work, Mizuki. Yes, the Sphere fragment is bound to be here on Murasa, but I can't pinpoint exactly where it could be."

"Could the other Tajuru elves help us?" Morrel suggested.

"Exactly," Zoira nodded, setting off. "Follow me and stay close. Don't touch anything until we arrive in Brighthome, the nearest Tajuru settlement. The people there are friendly enough."

Morrel and Mizuki jogged to catch up with the quick-moving Zoira, kicking aside thick underbrush and scaring away a few small animals. Through the forest Zoira went, turning at seemingly random places after checking the bark on the trees and sniffing the leaves and shoots of nearby plants. Morrel, for one, felt warm in his leather vest and battlemage cloak, his clothes damp and sticking to his skin. What was more, Zoira led him up an incline, making the going even rougher. Mizuki seemed to have an easier time of it, but more than once she winced as she accidentally stepped into something repulsive with her bare feet.

"Whew! Could we stop for a moment?" Morrel panted as Zoira led her party around a lightning-split tree. "I have to... catch my breath."

"All right, but not for too long," Zoira said patiently, folding her arms. "We're close to Brighthome anyway."

"How can you tell?" Mizuki asked.

"My people plant all kinds of signposts in the wild for us to follow," Zoira said, motioning with a hand. "Only the elves and expert explorers can follow these invisible roads, but they're there."

Settling against a wide tree's trunk, Morrel let out a long sigh. "Glad you're with us, Zoira. I'd never find that invisible road system on my own." He rested his head against the tree trunk, letting his burning calf muscles relax.

Zoira peered at Morrel, then recoiled. "Get away from there!"

Morrel turned to her. "What?"

Behind him, Morrel both heard and felt the tree start to move, as though a wooden mouth had begun to open. With a rumble and creak of parting wood, the tree began to open and a mass of hardened green carapace bashed into Morrel, sending him tumbling forward. He scrambled to his feet, staring as a green, armored _thing _crept out of the tree's opened trunk like an emerging snake. "Oh." Morrel's shoulders slumped. "Doesn't look too dangerous. I guess I just sat too close to its hideout."

Then the thing's maw opened wide, revealing a huge, fleshy pink mouth that could swallow a horse whole. Sharp, needle-like teeth lined its jaws.

"Never mind. Very dangerous!" Morrel yelped, leaping back from the tree monster's huge jaws. From the creature's mouth shot out a long, ropy tongue that tugged on Morrel's leg, sending him crashing to the soft ground in a heap. Heart hammering in terror, Morrel started to scramble away but he felt the tree monster's tongue tighten on his leg, drawing him closer to the gaping mouth. Sizzling saliva dripped from its upper jaws, burning small holes in the ground.

A flash of silver was all Morrel saw, but he felt the tree monster's tongue go lax and he scrabbled forward on the ground, staggering to his feet. He whirled around to cast a defensive spell, but the tree monster groaned loudly and retreated back into its hideout, retracting its injured tongue back into its mouth. The tree's trunk sealed itself again like a hatch, leaving no trace of its inner denizen except for a length of severed tongue lying on the floor. Morrel shuddered, staring at the severed tongue. "What in Asha's name was _that_?"

"A timbermaw larva, one of the more common threats around here," Zoira explained, walking over to retrieve what looked like a machete. "Cutting off its tongue is the best way to get rid of it."

Morrel sputtered. "That tree looked normal! I couldn't have known that the larva was..."

"Calm down, Morrel," Zoira smiled gently as she secured her machete on her survival belt. "It's not your fault. You can't trust your eyes. A tree might look healthy, but its insides tell a different tale."

Still shaken, Morrel took a few steps back from the tree where the larva still lurked. "That's insane. The perfect predator."

"You should see the look on your face!" Mizuki chuckled, leaning against a tree. She placed one hand on the tree's trunk to steady herself.

"Why don't _you _try getting nearly devoured by a tree monster?" Morrel bit back, unable to help a grin. "It's kind of scary. I already have experience."

"Oh, don't be a sissy," Mizuki teased, removing her hand from the tree and wandering over. She froze when she saw the goopy, orange-green slime all over her hand. "Eeeeewww! What is this?" She frantically scrubbed her hand against the ground and nearby bushes, wrinkling her nose against a foul smell that wafted through the air from the slime.

"And that, Mizuki, is Eldikon Tree sap," Zoira smiled, walking over to her. "At least, the defensive kind. Gums up whatever touches the tree, and disorients the victim with its odor."

Mizuki coughed. "Y-yeah, no kidding. Get it off!"

"Here." Zoira picked a few nearby flowers and shredded them in her hands, then clasped Mizuki's hands in hers. After a few seconds, Zoira removed her hands and the tree sap became runny, dripping to the forest floor. "Essence of the Hajra flower. Loosens up the sap just like that."

"Thanks," Mizuki said breathlessly, rubbing her hands together and checking her fingers. "I don't think I like Zendikar anymore."

Zoira laughed as she resumed the hike, motioning for Morrel and Mizuki to follow. "Just wait until you're knee-deep in an ancient catacomb with your torch burned out, waist-deep in feral goblins and poisoned-arrow traps."

Morrel kept a clear berth of the trees as he tagged along with Zoira, but he still saw many other wildlife come to him. From the underbrush emerged a burly antelope, the animal cautiously creeping toward Morrel with its beady black eyes fixed on him. Thick, sturdy antlers sprouted from its head and formed a hardened helmet on its skull.

"Hey, that thing looks kind of nice," Mizuki smiled. "I almost want to go over and pet it."

"Don't be fooled," Zoira smiled. "If it were as docile as it looks, it would've died off long ago. Those things can do a head-butt like nothing else I've ever seen. It's a gladehart grazer. Harmless as long as you don't get too close."

As well as the gladehart, Morrel spotted a huge orange and white boa slithering through a nearby stream, and a spotted saber-tooth tiger tearing after an unseen prey animal, shredding all the foliage before it. Finally, a voice called out, "Halt! Who walks in these forests?"

"I am Zoira of the Tajuru, of the former Leldath village," Zoira called out, craning her neck up somewhat. "I bring with me two humans. They are my companions and are to be trusted."

_Who is she talking to? _Morrel stopped as Zoira did, squinting through the wilderness. Then he saw it: a blonde elf woman in leather and steel armor crouched on a thick tree branch up ahead, her hair being tossed in a sudden breeze. A long pike was clutched in her hands, its silver blade pointed toward Zoira's party, but it moved when the elf accepted Zoira's claim. The elf lady stood and touched a finger to her temple, swishing the finger through the air in an arc.

"You may enter Brighthome, Zoira and company," the elf said formally. "Please enjoy your visit, and remember that violence is forbidden in Brighthome. May you explore the wilds for years to come."

Zoira imitated the elf's strange gesture. "And to you too, Tajuru sister," she recited. "We won't be here long. Just getting a sense of direction."

As Zoira led the way up another slope toward a particularly tall tree, Morrel cleared his throat. "What was that all about?"

"Just over this ridge is Brighthome, one of the largest havens in Murasa," Zoira told him. "We'll see it once we clear this ridge, which his hundreds of feet up, by the way. It's like nothing else you've ever seen! Hundreds of elves, humans, Kor, and mercenaries go in and out of Brighthome every day. It's just the place we need. I've been here many times, so just stay close to me, okay?"

"Okay," Morrel nodded, suddenly excited. _Finally, something that doesn't involve ambush monsters and hidden path markers! _He turned to face Mizuki. "Do you like Zendikar better now?"

Mizuki sniffed her hands and made a face at the residual tree sap scent. "A little."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Plains (Eytam Zana), Forest (Jung Park), Timbermaw Larva, Grazing Gladehart, River Boa, Scythe Tiger, Frontier Guide**


	32. Chapter 32

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 32**

Morrel felt the burn of fatigue in his legs as he trudged through the Murasa forests with Zoira and Mizuki, but the promised splendor and beauty of this Brighthome place intrigued him enough to keep him going. As Zoira reached the top of a hill, she pushed aside a branch to let Morrel and Mizuki past, and the elf smiled widely. "Here it is!"

Morrel gawked at the sight before him. "Impossible!"

"That's nuts," Mizuki stared.

"Come on, you guys," Zoira cajoled them. "After all you've seen, this isn't so weird. Let's get a little closer. There's a bridge right here..."

Following Zoira onto a rope-and-plank bridge that crossed the branches of towering trees, Morrel kept his eyes on the true nature of Brighthome. Nestled on the branches of a gigantic tree sat dozens of huts, markets, tents, and even small buildings built into the tree's wooden skin, an entire town built on a tree. Just one of the tree's branches was at least one hundred feet in diameter and hundreds long, and the branch's upper half was flat enough to easily allow the town to rest on top, complete with an ultra-smooth road down the middle. Yellow lights of lanterns and carefully-tended fires studded the tree, and as Morrel drew closer to Brighthome on the rope bridge, he started to hear the general chatter of the hundreds of beings who lived there. All around this vast tree towered many other huge trees and their wild animal inhabitants, but Brighthome definitely stood out as a beacon of civilization on this savage Plane.

"Welcome back, Zoira," greeted a tall, pale-skinned humanoid as Zoira, Morrel, and Mizuki stepped onto Brighthome's central road. The man wore a leather outfit complete with ropes and hooks, a machete, and pouches of dried plants and other materials.

"Hi," Zoira smiled back as she passed, tossing one of her braided ponytails.

"Who was that?" Mizuki inquired.

"One of the many Kor I have met here," Zoira responded warmly. "Kor are the light-skinned folk of this Plane, master survivalists and soldiers. See them?"

Morrel swallowed, overwhelmed. "Yeah." All around him bustled burly humans carrying large swords, bows, and survival gear, along with more pale Kor and elves much like Zoira. There were even some goblins, short red-skinned tricksters who both offered their services on expeditions and sold their wares at the crowded bazaars. Some dwellers of Brighthome played simple but well-decorated instruments in small bands, adding to the lively atmosphere. Smoke wafted from the campfires, carrying the scents of exotic barbecues.

"What a place, huh?" Mizuki commented with a smile, clasping Morrel's hand in hers. "Let's look around a bit!"

"Y-yeah," Morrel faltered, giving Zoira a quick glance.

"There's some certain folk I want to find here," Zoira told him and pointed toward a large tent with a red flag on top. "Meet me there in less than half an hour, okay?"

"Understood," Morrel nodded, and Mizuki promptly dragged him off through Brighthome's streets, a light bounce in her step.

"Where are we going?" Morrel asked uncertainly.

Mizuki made a nonchalant hum. "Nowhere in particular," she offered. "I'm just relieved to find a halfway decent place after the jungles of Murasa and the bleak Plane of Innistrad. What do you think of this place?"

"It gives me a good idea of what Zendikar is like," Morrel said frankly as a tough, dark-skinned man shouldered his way past. Morrel glanced back at the man, who carried a bulging backpack on his back and a rod over his shoulder. "That guy was missing a few digits, and had more than a few scars."

Apparently hearing this, the man stopped and turned back, staring down Morrel with his hard brown eyes. Morrel tried not to shrink back.

"I'm strong enough to survive alone. I'm smart enough to want companions at my side," the man rumbled, hefting his backpack to a more comfortable position. "Can you say the same, stranger?"

"Of course," Morrel answered without thinking. "A man who denies his people is less for it."

A lopsided grin cracked the man's hard demeanor. "Good boy. You have some smarts after all," he said in his deep voice, giving Morrel's shoulder a slap that nearly knocked the Bant battlemage off his feet. The man hulked off again, slipping between a Kor swordsman and a bearded man carrying two iron axes.

"You've already impressed the natives," Mizuki joked as she and Morrel resumed their walk. She squeezed Morrel's hand as she spoke.

"I didn't even know what I was saying," Morrel blurted. "Just the basic code taught to me at the Akrasan castle. Community and honor bring out a person's meaning in their life. Or so the battlemage creed goes."

Mizuki stifled a giggle behind her free hand. "Still homesick, I see."

"That's not what I..." Morrel puffed up his chest, then relaxed. "Oh, whatever. You've already tried that one on me."

"Oh yeah," Mizuki recalled. "Well, I think you're enjoying seeing all these new Planes! Way better than staying at Bant."

Morrel winced. "The other battlemages would kill me for this, but yeah, it's been exhilarating to see worlds beyond Bant and the borderlands of Naya and Esper. If I hadn't met you, I'd never get to see things like the cityscape of Ravnica or the shapeshifters of Lorwyn."

"You can thank me later," Mizuki teased him. "Or maybe now. Do you like traveling with me?"

Certain that Mizuki was up to another one of her tricks, Morrel paused while a man with blue robes and large lenses over his eyes strode past. "Do you mean besides being able to see new Planes with you?"

"Right."

"I, um..." Morrel grew more aware of his hand in Mizuki's, and the way she smiled slightly and tilted her head while she waited for a response. _I'm getting distracted, but I can't help it. Mizuki's really pretty when she smiles like that! _"Yes, I'd have to say that I like having you as my guide and friend. You're wild and daring at times, but bold and self-sufficient, and sometimes surprisingly gentle and patient."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "That was more than I expected," she noted.

"Am I yammering?"

"No," Mizuki laughed, "but now I definitely know what you think of me."

_Not completely, _Morrel caught himself thinking, and tried not to blush. _After all, we're drawing close to confronting Azrael for the last time, and what then? Mizuki and I are from different worlds and have different callings. Can there really be something between us? I don't know. It's complicated, to say the least!_

The snort of a nearby beast caught Morrel by surprise as he passed another bazaar populated by goblins, humans, and beasts of burden. A nearby goblin clad in iron armor and animal skins halted Morrel with a tap on the shoulder.

"He's taken an interest in you, boy!" the goblin said cheerily, slapping the haunch of the four-legged beast that watched Morrel with its beady eyes. "Can I interest you in trading for this pack hurda? Useful for crossing plains and rocky roads!"

"N-no, I don't need one of those," Morrel stammered, motioning with his hands. Mizuki stopped to watch, an amused expression on her face.

"No need for a hurda?" the goblin commented, unfettered. "How about these maps to recently discovered tombs? Or these vials of invisible potion? Very fancy..." he turned to his table of trinkets and waved a bottle of light purple liquid in Morrel's face.

_Is there really such a thing as invisibility potions? _Morrel wondered. "Thanks for the offer, but I didn't bring anything with me to trade. Besides, I'm traveling with a Tajuru elf who knows her way around."

"One of he Tajuru?" the goblin piped up, his long ears perking slightly. "Experts of the wild, they are. Well, get along now! Shoo!"

_No need for a useless customer to take up space, _Morrel figured, moving along through the crowds with Mizuki in tow.

"An invisibility potion?" Mizuki repeated, glancing back at the goblin, who was now bartering loudly with a Kor. "That sounds like fun!"

"What would you use one for?" Morrel asked with a quick grin. "I mean, besides stealing..."

Mizuki's lips curled into a wider grin. "All kinds of things. Are you sure you want to know?"

Knowing Mizuki's playful and rather un-shy behavior around him, Morrel decided not to press the subject. Instead, he and Mizuki made their way toward the red flag tent, and Zoira approached the tent from the opposite direction. Five Kor were in tow.

"Great timing, guys," Zoira said happily, rubbing her hands together. "Morrel, Mizuki, please meet the Kamsa's Gliders, the finest kitesailers on this side of the Akoum mountains."

"We are at your service, Morrel, Mizuki," bowed the lead Kor, a man with long white hair and form-fitting leather clothing. Like most Kor, he wore survival gear on his belt, but rather than a machete or knife, he had two large metal hooks held together by five feet or so of chains. "We were chosen by the sky goddess Kamsa to roam the air currents of Zendikar to revel in its glory. Your friend Zoira offered us a fine sum to fund this adventure she has planned. My name is Sherbal, the leader of Kamsa's Gliders."

"Well met, Sherbal," Morrel extended his hand. After a second of hesitation, Sherbal accepted the handshake with a strong, somewhat calloused grip.

Mizuki looked less impressed. "So, where are we going? Not on another jungle hike, I hope."

"Not at all, madam," Sherbal said, turning to Mizuki. "We are master kitesailers, as I spoke before. We'll take off from a clear hilltop and take to the winds. It won't take long to find a good spot, and we can get going right now if you all are prepared."

"I'm ready, for one," Morrel nodded. "So, what does a kitesailer do? I don't see any particular equipment with you."

Sherbal laughed lightly. "We don't lug our kitesails with us everywhere, boy! We've got our whole supply here in Brighthome, where the ally teams like to keep their gear. Follow us and we'll get eight kitesails." He started off, with everyone else tagging along right after him. Then he turned to Morrel. "You _have _been kitesailing before, right?"

Morrel couldn't resist an apologetic grin. "Not at all."

*o*o*o*o*

A two-hour forest hike led the group of eight through the Murasa forests and to a rocky bluff that offered a clear view of the surrounding terrain. Breathing hard from the forest hike, Morrel gratefully inhaled lungfuls of clear, fresh air as he beheld the tree canopies stretching for every direction below. Up here, Morrel could see other jagged, rocky cliffs and a few granite valleys that wound their way through the forest like scars. While the Kor busied themselves with setting up their kitesails, Mizuki tugged on Morrel's wrist. "What do you think _those _are?" she asked, awed.

Morrel craned his neck up to the gusty sky. "I can't even begin to wonder."

Among the flocks of birds and twisting clouds floated a number of hedrons, smooth stone objects each shaped like a pair of four-sides pyramids connected base to base and stretched out. They hovered without any clear pattern or means of levitation, but the wildlife and the Kor ignored the hedrons as though they were a fact of life. _Which they probably are, now that I think about it, _Morrel realized. _I wonder if even the natives know what those strange structures are for? They are clearly artificial... so who built them? _He shivered. _I feel so small._

"Here you are, Morrel," said one of the Kor, a square-jawed man with feathers worked onto his leather shirt's sleeves. He held up a pair of bat wing-like wooden structures with animal skin membranes. A few handholds and straps were built into the kitesail, but Morrel only stared.

"How do I use this?" Morrel asked blankly, accepting the kitesail. It was quite light, but felt sturdy.

"Like so," said the Kor, picking up his own kitesail. He seized the handholds on its wings and pulled the sail into position against his back, then fixed a leather harness around his waist to secure the kitesail to his body. The other Kor did the same, along with an amused-looking Zoira.

"Take note," Sherbal called over to Morrel, "that the kitesails you and Mizuki will use are enchanted to stabilize and enhance flight to make up for your lack of practice. Feel no shame; kitesails are tricky to master."

Morrel hefted his own kitesail. "Okay, um... give me a minute." He tried to ignore Mizuki's amused gaze as he attempted to set up his sail correctly, but Mizuki stopped laughing when she was given her sail and struggled with it too. With much help from the Kor, Morrel and Mizuki finally held their kitesails on their backs, ready for flight.

"Now, then," Sherbal declared, walking to the cliff edge. His kitesail's wings fluttered against the strong, erratic winds. "Today, we fly to the Bleak Bluffs of Akoum, then camp for the night and make our way to Dead Man's Crags the next afternoon. Zoira wants to get there was fast as possible. Ride on!"

With that, he took a running start and leaped off the cliff, working loose a few pebbles in the process. At once, he flared out his kitesail's wings and the membranes swelled from an influx of air, lifting Sherbal swiftly into the air. Higher and higher Sherbal flew, and he seemed to glide forward at a steady rate despite the erratic air currents. The other four Kor of the Kamsa's Gliders group pushed off as well, forming up with Sherbal in the air. Zoira took a running start toward the cliff edge, calling over, "It's easier than it looks. Just do this!" She took to the air and glided up towards the Kor.

Stomach suddenly writhing with vertigo, Morrel realized just how far down the treetops were and how powerful the winds blew. He looked over at Mizuki. "Why don't you go first?"

Mizuki backed up a step, her kitesail's rigging clanking. "N-no. You first!"

"Fine." Taking a deep breath and mentally praying to the angels for courage, Morrel dashed swiftly toward the waiting cliff edge, then pushed off the rocky crag as hard as he could, stretching out his arms to catch the winds. However, the trees below suddenly rushed to meet him as he started to fall, angling downwards at a shallow angle. _No! I have to fly up! But how do I do this? _Morrel bared his teeth and tilted his kitesail's wings, trying to change the airflow. The Murasa treetops grew almost close enough to touch –

And then Morrel was gliding upwards, Zendikar's strong winds pushing him higher and higher into the writhing sky. Morrel couldn't help but give a howl of elation as he soared through the air, wind rushing past his ears and ruffling his dark blond hair. The winds chilled him and ruffled his clothes mercilessly, but he didn't care – he was flying!

_So this is how the aven feel when in flight, _Morrel thought giddily, recalling his envy of the bird-men of Bant. The Kor and Zoira had gone far ahead, but Morrel could still see them and he slowly started to catch up. He chanced a glance behind him and saw Mizuki drift closer on her own kitesail. Her black hair billowed in the wind.

"How is it? Great, huh?" Morrel shouted over the wind.

"No!" Mizuki bit back. "I hate flying. My stomach..."

Morrel winced. "Your sensitive stomach again?" _She's gotten seasick more than once, too..._

"Yeah! This had better be the last time!" the Kamigawa Planeswalker called back.

The strange hedrons loomed as Morrel flew closer to them, even flitting close to a few of them as he flew. Up close, the hedrons were easily fifty to a hundred feet from end to end, and strange, curvy letters adorned their multiple faces with meanings beyond Morrel's ken. What was more, some of them were moving: one hedron's two halves started rotating in opposite directions of each other, and another hedron's surface was made of many square blocks that constantly shifted positions with each other. Yet others were dotted with spherical bird nests, tangles of twigs and leaves that housed birds that had white plumage and black-feathered heads. The birds flitted about in small flocks, cawing loudly and keeping their distance from Morrel and Mizuki.

Morrel tried to keep his mind calm as he soared through the air after the Kamsa's Gliders group, but he couldn't stop both fearing the possibility of falling and thinking about how beautiful but savage Zendikar was from up here. Along with the black-white birds, a few wispy elementals and brawny eels with brown and red scales slithered past, handling themselves in the air as normal eels would in the water. The sun arced across the sky and shifted both the shadows and the air currents with its changing heat levels, disrupting Morrel's flight patterns slightly. His arms grew tired as he constantly adjusted his kitesail wings, but he stayed aloft and within a few dozen feet of Kamsa's Gliders.

Then, as evening set in, the rocky edges of Murasa fell back and the group glided over a channel of water for an hour until a new, much less forested continent slid into view underneath. Jagged mountains, cliffs, and volcanoes loomed underneath, the stone ranging in color from sandy brown to bloody red to dark volcanic rock types. _This must be that Akoum place that Sherbal mentioned, _Morrel figured. _I hope we land soon. I'm getting tired!_ He fought to adjust his kitesail's wings against the ever-changing air currents, but his wings fluttered and bent against the winds, twisting out of shape. Morrel struggled against his kitesail, but he started to squirm uselessly in his panic and the rough terrain of Akoum started to zoom upwards as he lost altitude.

Air buffeted Morrel from all sides like a bustling crowd, gyrating him through the air in an uncontrollable free-fall. _I can't get back up! I'll crash! _Morrel's mind raced as a smoking volcano drew near. He could already feel the hot, ashy air starting to swallow him up as he approached the volcano's opening.

Strong hands suddenly seized Morrel, kitesail and all, and Morrel felt himself start to glide upwards again. Looking up, he saw a faintly grinning Sherbal straightening his kitesail wings and keeping Morrel aloft. "Nearly lost you there, boy," the Kor commented. "The hot air from Akoum's volcanoes can make navigation tricky. Don't worry, I've got you. We're nearly at the Bleak Bluffs. Just a few more minutes."

"Th-thanks," Morrel stammered, his heart still hammering. _Maybe I don't like flying quite that much after all._

*o*o*o*o*

The towering mountains and volcanoes of Akoum threw deep shadows onto the cluster of tents situated in a valley, and Morrel stumbled over loose rocks on the valley floor as he and the others made their way toward their camp after landing their kitesails. Sherbal led the way, striding confidently toward the waiting camp. Several vivid orange campfires kept the camp within sight, and Morrel saw a number of humanoids wandering about the camp. One of the inhabitants came forth and declared, "Who be you?"

"Sherbal, of Kamsa's Riders," the Kor called back. "And I bring three guests. We wish to camp here until morning when we resume our flight."

"You got it," responded the man. Upon coming closer, Morrel saw that it was a human man with short black hair and a rough but sharp-looking machete latched onto his belt. "There's room enough for you all."

Fifteen minutes later, Morrel sat around the largest campfire with Mizuki and Zoira, munching on dried ox meat, a few sweet fruits, and biscuits. It wasn't the best food, but after the strenuous flight here, Morrel's stomach rumbled for sustenance.

"So, Zoira," Morrel piped up after finishing his last biscuit. "Is the Sphere of Ages fragment here on Akoum?"

"Yes," the elf nodded, setting down her ox jerky. "I can faintly sense it and the aura of that thing is much stronger here than on Murasa. There's not a lot of wildlife here, but there's some savage elementals around like fire cats and stone golems." She smiled slightly in amusement. "Not to mention landslides, volcanoes, and vents of noxious natural gases."

Mizuki made an irritated noise as she leaned on Morrel, tired. "I can't wait to leave this stupid Plane. No offense, that is."

"No offense taken." Zoira's face fell. "Many Planeswalkers get more than enough of Zendikar after a short time. This is no place to travel lightly, but for me... it's home. Always will be."

Morrel absent-mindedly ran a hand through Mizuki's hair. "You know, when Veldor took Mizuki and I to Esper, he showed us the wonders of that Plane and the people he knew there. What about you? What are the Tajuru elves like?"

"My people?" Zoira repeated tightly. "The Tajuru are native to the Murasa continent, and are open-minded to other peoples and their ways."

"The elves I've seen on other Planes aren't usually fire users or summoners," Morrel added. "Did you learn your fire creature summons from somewhere around here?"

Zoira's lips pursed. "No, it's a rare art that the people of my particular village had, and I had an aptitude for it. It helps that I was tutored by summoner masters on various Planes I've visited. That's all you need to know, okay? I'll watch your back on our quest here and when we confront Azrael to put a stop to his rampages."

She got up and dusted herself off, turning away. "I think that's enough talk for now."

"But..." Morrel protested. "Veldor showed Mizuki and I all kinds of things from his home. What about you? I'm eager to meet your village and see what it's like. If we have the time, that is." _I've never found out that much about Zoira. I can't help but be curious!_

"No, we don't have time," Zoira bit back. "My village isn't a part of our trip. Stop asking me about it. Good night."

With that, she stalked off and slipped into her tent, sealing the flap behind her. Morrel gawked, flushing in shame. "I think I upset her."

"Kind of," Mizuki yawned. "But she's totally hiding something. Something bad, I'll bet."

"What gave you that impression?"

"She seemed kind of... _guilty_," Mizuki said, glancing at Zoira's tent. "I could hear it."

"Yeah..." Morrel muttered, recalling the tone he had heard in Zoira's voice. He stretched."Why don't we go to bed, too? Not much to do here, to be honest."

"Yeah, really," Mizuki yawned again. The evening faded into twilight, the sun nearly set. "Let's turn in."

The both of them rose to approach their tent, passing by a few human explorers sharing tales of their latest treasure hunts. Morrel could only think of finding that Sphere of Ages shard, and wondering what henchmen of Azrael's would be after it. _First Maretta, then Rohkan and the Kithkin, _he reflected. _Plus the Golgari and Izzet guilds of Ravnica, and then Maretta's werewolves on Innistrad. I'd receive an armful of Sigils if my superiors back home could see all the enemies I've bested! With a great deal of help, I might add..._

Mizuki froze. "Did you hear that?" She turned to the east, toward the mountains. A few stars glinted in the darkest part of the sky.

Morrel shrugged. "Hear what?"

"That." Mizuki help up a finger, and Morrel heard a dim series of crunches, almost like rock being ground up. It almost sounded like footfalls.

Then, a loud, bone-chilling wail shattered the evening air, and every human explorer sprang to his or her feet, weapons drawn. The Kor of Kamsa's Gliders similarly perked up at the sound, and Morrel felt his heart hammer. _Angels have mercy! What was that? It sounded so... alien. _The cry sounded again, echoing through Akoum's mountains like a chorus of the damned. The rock-crunching sounds accelerated, growing louder and louder as something approached.

"It's one of _them_!" an explorer shouted, his pike held at the ready. "Stand your ground!"

"It's one of what?" Morrel shouted back over another eerie howl. The source of the wails and footfalls sounded gigantic and rather close, just past the nearest mountains.

"The monsters ravaging all of Zendikar," the man repeated. "Those... horrors. Haven't you seen them before?"

Morrel shook his head just as Zoira clamored out of her tent, worry etched on her face as she confronted Morrel and Mizuki. "I heard it, too," Zoira explained, all traces of fatigue gone. "It's one of those creatures. I've seen them before."

"Just what are we talking about?" Mizuki demanded, stamping a bare foot.

Zoira tightened her fists. "The worst enemy Zendikar has ever seen."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Forest (John Avon), Oran-Rief Survivalist, Highland Berserker, Reckless Scholar, Bazaar Trader, Kitesail Apprentice, Grappling Hook, Kitesail, Welkin Tern, Windrider Eel, Akoum Refuge, Trusty Machete**


	33. Chapter 33

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 33**

"Wait, just what are we going up against? What's making that horrible... _noise_?" Morrel sputtered to Zoira as the explorers and sell-swords of the Bleak Bluffs camp rose and drew their weapons. He clenched his hands and teeth, the memory of the noise chilling his spine.

"It's one of the monsters that's rampaging across Zendikar. They're all over the place," Zoira said grimly as she held out her hands, fiery red mana enveloping her fingers and palms. She glanced over at the twilight mountainside where the rock crunching sounds echoed. "Come on, follow me and don't fall behind! We have to move fast!"

"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Mizuki demanded as she and Morrel hurried after Zoira along with the other folk of the refuge camp. Her right arm swelled to full size, her huge black fingers flexing with anxiety.

Zoira shook her head as she scampered expertly up a shallow incline, scattering loose rocks all over the place. "They attack everything and everyone in sight. There's no time to run!"

"True. There's no time to set up the kitesails," Sherbal added, now holding his double-grappling hook weapon. "Prepare yourselves, Morrel, Mizuki."

His mind burning with curiosity and terror, Morrel huffed as he worked his way up the rough terrain of Akoum, feeling a chilly wind raise goosebumps on his skin. Just as he, Zoira and Mizuki reached the top of a wide rocky hill, an unspeakable _thing _turned its faceless head to regard the refuge party on the side of a mountain. It shrieked again and nimbly scampered down a mountain like a cat, but it was like no other animal Morrel had ever seen. Running on two thick legs and two arms, the thing could easily stand fifty feet high, but its size wasn't the only thing that disturbed Morrel. Its hairless skin was a mottled, purple-pink color reminiscent of sea sponges, and its pointed, beak-like head had no eyes or mouth, but rather a series of fleshy lattices that further enhanced the sea sponge motif. A dozen thick, purple tentacles slowly writhed on the monster's back, and its front paws had long, sharp claws that easily cut into the mountainside.

"In all my time..." Mizuki mumbled.

Morrel rounded on her. "What?"

Mizuki cleared her throat, unable to tear her eyes from the incoming monster. "I've visited a good number of Planes and saw all kinds of weird stuff, but nothing like that." Her face paled. "We're doomed, aren't we?"

"Relax!" Morrel shouted over the din as the monster came closer. The refuge warriors raised their weapons to ready positions. "We've faced worse!"

"Have we?" Mizuki joked tensely, raising her cursed right arm.

"Zoira, is there a name for this abomination?" Morrel called over to the elf.

"Yeah," Zoira nodded. "That's an Eldrazi."

House-sized rocks flew into the air as the Eldrazi thundered across the rocky hills, its paws tearing chunks of terrain out and flinging them everywhere as it ran. Letting out another howl, the Eldrazi towered over the assembled party on the rocky hills and raised its right paw, blocking out the sun with its hand. With a loud swish of air, the Eldrazi slammed its paw to the earth, and the land rippled and shattered as a shock wave radiated from the strike point. Morrel winced as he felt himself get thrown off his feet, crumpling across the hard ground and rolling away. Mizuki seized the ground with her talons to keep herself steady, but even she could barely hold herself against the Eldrazi's strike.

Letting loose a collective wary cry, the Kor and human refuge warriors charged as one, raining down blows on the Eldrazi's mottled hand. Swords, machetes, grappling hooks, and war axes hacked and gouged against the Eldrazi's thick skin, drawing thin trickles of a noxious-smelling purple liquid. Rumbling in irritation, the Eldrazi raised its hand and flicked out its fingers. The warriors wailed as they were sent flying from the blow, crashing to the earth dozens of feet away. Hearing the wet thumps and cracks of the bodies hitting the rocky terrain, Morrel grimly realized that all the warriors were dead. _So much for their help! I can't get close to that Eldrazi or the same could happen to me! _At least the Kamsa's Gliders members survived, falling back from the Eldrazi before it had ever attacked.

"I'll get its attention! Aim for the legs!" Zoira shouted as she reached out with her hands, her fiery red mana flaring like bonfires. Four saber-toothed cats, their magical bodies coated in super-hot flames, erupted from an ethereal summon circle and scampered across the ground toward the Eldrazi. A second later, one of Zoira's wingless dragons joined the cats, roaring its lust for blood.

The Eldrazi took a lumbering step forward, cocking its ugly head in curiosity as Zoira's summoned creatures charged at its left flank. The dragon opened its maw and bathed the Eldrazi's left arm in a stream of white-hot fire, slowly charring the monster's skin and flesh under the fiery assault. Reeling in agony, the Eldrazi took a heavy step backwards, then raised its other foot for a stomp. As soon as its foot struck the earth, a focused shock wave shot toward Zoira's fire cats, blasting the ground under them. The fire cats were scattered, their bodies flying high into the air. The shattered ground started to evaporate into ashes from the Eldrazi's power, disintegrating before Morrel's stunned eyes.

_Zoira gave us a job to do, _he reminded himself. He turned to Mizuki,who nodded tightly and charged as fast as her feet could carry her. Morrel joined the charge, drawing two of his throwing knives. _A little more fire should help, _he figured. Channeling his limited reserve of red mana into the knives, Morrel hurled the knives and silently cheered as the blades sank into the Eldrazi's thick right leg. Clapping his hands together to focus his mana, Morrel let two bright explosions shudder the Eldrazi, throwing it off-balance.

Mizuki slipped into the lumbering monster's blind spot, waving her left arm through the air. From the earth sprouted a cluster of deadly tendrils of black mana that impaled the Eldrazi's hip, slowly punching through its tough hide. Once again the Eldrazi rumbled in pain, starting to sway in place. Zoira's dragon spat fire again, this time charring the Eldrazi's belly.

"Yaaaaaah!" Mizuki leaped as high as she could, digging her talons into the Eldrazi's right leg. Swinging herself higher from there, she pounced past the monster's knee and gripped its thigh, leaking noxious black mana from her claws. The Eldrazi stared down at Mizuki for a second, then raised its right hand, swinging it down to swat Mizuki like a bug.

Sensing the danger, Mizuki let go and let herself fall, but the Eldrazi lashed out with its other hand. His nerves flooded with adrenaline, Morrel thrust out his right hand and summoned his white and blue mana. The Eldrazi's hand slapped against a barrier of gold and blue mana, giving Mizuki time to land on her tough right arm and safely roll to a stop on the ground.

Confused, the Eldrazi rapped its fingers against the Hindering Light, then shattered it with a touch. Apparently fed up, the Eldrazi took a few heavy steps forward and crouched, slapping its enormous hands to the earth. This time, Morrel was prepared: he sprang into the air just before a earth-shattering wave of vibrations emanated from the Eldrazi's hands. Zoira avoided the shock wave by conjuring her phoenix, mounting herself on the fire bird's lower neck. Screeching its fierce battle song, the phoenix flapped its fiery wings in lazy circles around the Eldrazi, throwing streams of fire at its head.

Angered even more, the Eldrazi swatted at the phoenix but missed, its huge paws lashing uselessly through the air. Finding an easier target, the Eldrazi stomped its foot on Zoira's dragon, crushing it into dust.

"I'm going! Cover me!" Mizuki barked, and she tore after the distracted Eldrazi with her giant arm held out. Morrel followed, stopping when Mizuki once again vaulted up the Eldrazi's leg with her claws. Mizuki's talons raked the Eldrazi's wounded leg, slowly tearing away layers of its skin. The Eldrazi stomped its feet in agitation, trying to swat Mizuki off with its hands. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Morrel reached out and conjured two Hindering Light shields this time, and the Eldrazi's claws skated off the barriers.

_It's working! This monster can't fend off all three of us, _Morrel thought with careful elation as Mizuki's talons and Zoira's phoenix fire continued to wear away at the titan's natural defenses.

Then the Eldrazi took its turn to go on the offensive.

Shrieking in fury, the Eldrazi pounded its claws even harder on Morrel's shields, shattering them into magical pieces. Mizuki let go of the monster's leg and tried to leap away, so Morrel prepared to cast another spell to protect her. Before Morrel could make a move, however, the Eldrazi stomped its left leg and a narrow beam of shock waves shattered the earth right in Morrel's direction. Morrel's stomach lurched as he was thrown off the ground, and his vision flickered when a chunk of rock bashed into his head. Smaller pieces of rock hammered his body, and he could barely curl into a protective ball as rocks piled all around him, threatening to bury him alive.

Mizuki kicked herself off of the Eldrazi's leg to get away faster, but without Morrel's barriers getting in the way, the Eldrazi swatted her with its hand. Mizuki felt her body jolt with agony on the impact, with not only kinetic force but a strange, burning but heatless power that came off the Eldrazi's hand. Shouting in agony, Mizuki tumbled awkwardly to the ground and rolled to a stop, her body aching and head throbbing as remnants of the Eldrazi's hideous power still wracked her flesh. _Damn it, that hurt! _She scrambled to her hand and knees, turning to keep her eyes on the Eldrazi. Despite the blood leaking from its wounded and charred legs, the monster moved quickly and firmly as it chased after Zoira's phoenix. The fire bird kept itself out of harm's way, but its counter attacks did little good. This time, the Eldrazi raised its arms to take the brunt of the fire attacks, a shimmering gray barrier deflecting the fire.

_We're getting nowhere fast, _Mizuki realized grimly, brushing her dirty hair out of her face as she slowly got to her bare feet. She was suddenly aware of the bruises and cuts that covered her skin, and her black mana reserves were starting to run thin. _And that barrier! That Eldrazi thing is getting stronger the longer we fight it. Just how can we... no way. No... WAY!_

The Eldrazi had brought friends: all around the battlefield marched an assortment of bizarre monsters, some walking upright and others running on all fours. None of the faceless monsters looked particularly threatening, but at their feet ran thousands of head-sized, jellyfish-like creatures that somehow could walk on their thick tentacles. Mizuki stared at the horde of newcomers. _I don't see many weapons on them besides natural claws, but who knows? This went from bad to worse! And is Morrel going to get up, or what? _She looked over to her battlemage friend, who was just now getting to his feet from a pile of rubble.

Zoira stared down at the horde of newcomers. _The Eldrazi spawn and their shepherd drones. I have to take them out fast! _She gave a mental command to her phoenix, and the fire bird cawed and swooped down on the horde of little Eldrazi. With a great flap of its wings, the phoenix conjured gales of superheated air that vaporized whole swaths of Eldrazi spawn, their bodies charred into ashes. The phoenix glided over the Eldrazi minions at high speed, breathing fire from its beak to burn away more of the monsters. Despite Zoira's effort, hundreds of spawns reached the giant Eldrazi and crowded around it like adoring fans while the Eldrazi drones hung back.

Morrel gawked at the scene. _What are those little things doing? Wait... impossible! _For the creatures scampered up the huge Eldrazi's legs and began to fuse themselves to its flesh, slowly sealing up the giant Eldrazi's wounds and soothing its burnt skin. More and more spawn critters melded themselves onto the huge Eldrazi, and by the time the last one had melted itself into place, the huge Eldrazi stood firmly, its body unmarked from battle. In a chilling but almost familiar gesture, the Eldrazi raised its right hand and flexed its fingers inwards as though daring the two humans and elf to attack.

_Oh, it's a fight you want, is it? _Morrel thought defiantly, clenching his fists as his bruises throbbed. _I'm not scared of a demonic thing like you!_

Zoira launched a dive-bomb assault with her phoenix, the bird blasting waves of raging fire every which way. She wasn't a second too soon: the drones all started after Morrel and Mizuki, threatening to swarm them with vastly superior numbers. Dozens of the drones shrieked and writhed as the phoenix's fire waves charred them to ashes, causing the titan Eldrazi to take a step back from the inferno. As the phoenix swooped away, the fires died down, leaving only a few survivors.

Two of the surviving Eldrazi drones stomped after Morrel, raising their long, bony arms and brandishing their thick claws. Morrel ducked and twisted to avoid the fast-moving claw swipes, retaliating with a hard kick to one of the Eldrazi's chest. The faceless monster stumbled back on its stumpy legs, but the other one lashed out with its claws, raking Morrel's right thigh. Morrel bit back a grunt and seized the Eldrazi's arm with his strong grip, swinging it toward its ally. Both Eldrazi drones nearly toppled over in a confused heap, and Morrel pounced on the creatures with a knife in each hand. Baring his teeth, Morrel gashed his knives across the faceless monsters' sponge lattices, drawing dark purple blood.

Squealing in distress, the Eldrazi blindly whipped their bony arms through the air. One of their hardened fists caught Morrel on his temple, and Morrel's head throbbed as he was thrown to the firm ground, landing flat on his back. _Wow, those things hit hard! I have to finish this quick and get back to Mizuki before she gets surrounded. _The two drones swiped with their claws again, but this time Morrel flicked out his right hand, intense white mana focused on his fingers. One of the drones vanished, a white ring of mana taking its place. Stunned, the other Eldrazi faltered and raised its arms defensively, backing up a few steps. Smiling grimly to himself, Morrel sprang to his feet and threw a hard roundhouse kick, blasting aside the drone's arms. The drone's featureless head erupted in hot purple blood as Morrel jabbed his knife into its flesh, and at last the monster succumbed and slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Dispelling his Oblivion Ring, Morrel let the other drone pop back into existence, catching it while it was off-guard. A hard punch to the gut rocked the drone, and an uppercut to the chin stunned it and lowered its guard even more. Finally, Morrel seized the drone's arm to keep it in place, and he pierced its head with a knife. Gurgling on its blood, the drone collapsed in a heap.

Panting, Morrel slipped his knives back into his cloak's pockets and turned back to the huge Eldrazi, which now was swiping its huge paws at Zoira's elusive phoenix. Although the phoenix continued to harass the Eldrazi with fire blasts, the flames did little more than char the Eldrazi's skin and make the monster angry.

"Raaaaah!" Mizuki shouted as her giant talons hacked a drone into pieces. She whipped around and thrust out her cursed hand's finger, releasing a beam of focused black mana that caught a four-legged Eldrazi drone in mid-pounce. The creature vanished in a huge puff of black smoke.

"Doing okay, Morrel?" Mizuki huffed, tossing her black hair and lowering her huge arm. The rest of the Eldrazi drones fell back, unwilling to confront the humans any longer.

"I... guess," Morrel panted, wishing he had bandages for his many bleeding wounds. He swallowed, looking up at the giant Eldrazi that still tried to knock Zoira out of the sky. "But there's still that guy to deal with."

Concern tightened Mizuki's lips. "Yeah. All our hard work was undone. Stupid giant!"

Taking a deep breath, Morrel relaxed his fists and slumped his shoulders. _I remember an important lesson from the Rhox: every enemy, however powerful or wise, always has a weakness. All life is meant to live and die. This Eldrazi must die to something! _He clenched his jaws as the Eldrazi howled in frustration, but he still focused on his lesson._ Every great warrior can be fallen in one way or another. Some direct, others subtle and crafty, some requiring aid and others not. Any tough brute can be slain by a head injury, for example. No one survives a stab to the brain, except the undead monsters of Grixis and the artificial creatures of Esper. But this Eldrazi is totally different from Grixis zombie raiders..._

Morrel's stomach lurched. _Not entirely! This is just one more enemy to kill. It's got tough skin, which means it has something vulnerable underneath. What if we attacked its delicate innards? Like that siege-maw Kami! Once its armor plates were forced back, injuring it was easy! _He snapped his eyes open. "Mizuki, remember how we once fought a siege-maw Kami on your home Plane?"

Mizuki shuddered. "Yeah, I remember fighting that thing at Oboro's castle grounds. Nasty things. What of it?"

Unable to help a smile, Morrel elaborated, "Feel like repeating the tactic we used to defeat it?"

"Morrel, this is an otherworldly titan, not a... oh!" Mizuki slapped a hand to her forehead. "We expose its vulnerability! The flesh under its hardened skin and armor!"

"We need Zoira's phoenix," Morrel added, excitement numbing his fatigue. The phoenix's fire erupted once again, uselessly bathing the Eldrazi's head and shoulders. "And we get onto its body where we can get a good grip. We have to try!"

Mizuki put her hands on her hips, watching the Eldrazi flail around. "Huh, it _does _have issues with small, fast targets... let's try it. But you'd better be right!"

"I hope so too," Morrel nodded, waving his arms to get Zoira's attention. Her phoenix arced toward Morrel and Mizuki, angling close to the ground. The air grew hot and dry as the fire bird approached, but to Morrel the phoenix looked as welcome as any angel.

"What is it?" Zoira asked hurriedly, her face slick with sweat and speckled with ash from the heat of the phoenix's wings. Loose strands of her hair had come loose from her braided ponytails. The Eldrazi lumbered toward the grounded phoenix, reaching out with its huge paws.

"Get Mizuki and I on that monster's shoulders," Morrel explained in a rush. "We're going to hit it where it's most vulnerable!"

Zoira's eyes flashed with impatience. "Where?"

"Under its armored skin!" Morrel shouted back over the noise of the approaching Eldrazi. There was no more time to delay; the phoenix crouched flat on the ground and Morrel heaved himself onto its feathered back. After Morrel extended a hand and helped Mizuki climb on board with him, the phoenix cawed and kicked off the ground, flapping its wings hard. Just as the Eldrazi's paw slammed onto the ground where the phoenix had stood, the phoenix took to the skies and flew in a wide arc, once again escaping the Eldrazi's reach.

Morrel hung on tightly to the phoenix's feathers, suddenly aware that Zoira rode it without a harness, saddle or any other animal-riding equipment. _She's totally reckless! But that's what I need right now, _Morrel reminded himself. He clenched the phoenix's soft but tough feathers hard as the fire bird swooped through the air, gliding a little higher up.

"Okay, here you go," Zoira told him as she guided the phoenix down toward the Eldrazi's head. "Make this count! I can't stay still for long or that Eldrazi will wipe me out."

Morrel nodded once, and then the phoenix stretched out its talons and settled right on the Eldrazi's beak-shaped, sponge-like head. The titanic monster shook its head to scare off the phoenix, but the fire bird hung on tight as Morrel and Mizuki slowly and carefully jumped down onto the titan's scalp. Just as the phoenix started to lift off again, the Eldrazi's left hand rushed in and smacked the phoenix, nearly shattering the air with an unnatural shock wave. Screeching in pain and shock, the phoenix fought for balance as it was sent tumbling through the air, its fires nearly going out. The phoenix stabilized itself just enough to make a crash-landing and Zoira herself safely disembarked from the bird, but Morrel knew that there was no escaping this Eldrazi now: he had to slay it, or face annihilation.

"Open wide, big guy!" Mizuki taunted the Eldrazi, slashing down with her cursed right arm's talons. She wedged her talons between two hardened plates on the Eldrazi's head, and she bared her teeth as she started to strain at the plating. The Eldrazi rumbled in irritation, tossing its head violently. Morrel fell onto his stomach, quickly seizing the edge of an armor plate before he was thrown off. Adrenaline tingled in his fingers, is heart suddenly racing. _Whoa, that was too close! I can barely stay on this thing._

Mizuki hung on tight with her claws, now infusing her talons with humming black mana. Morrel watched apprehensively as the black mana started to cut into the Eldrazi's armor plate, but the progress was slow: the Eldrazi's natural armor easily defied the mana, and when the Eldrazi shook its head again, both Morrel and Mizuki lost their grip. Seizing Mizuki's left hand in mid-fall, Morrel managed to land on the Eldrazi's left shoulder, Mizuki landing next to him. The Eldrazi reached over with its right hand, huge purple fingers flexing in hunger.

"Quick! Move!" Morrel scampered over the hunched Eldrazi's neck, glad that it never fully stood upright. He hung on to an armor plate on the Eldrazi's neck to steady his stance on its right shoulder, but the Eldrazi simply reached over with its left hand now, clapping its hand to its shoulder. Morrel and Mizuki leaped and hung on to the Eldrazi's neck armor plates to avoid the blow, but Morrel could see no way to evade the monster's blows for long. _It's taking all we've got just to stay on, and it'll take time to pry open the Eldrazi's armor plates, _Morrel realized._ I don't know if I could make enough Hindering Light barriers to keep it off our backs._

"Hey," Mizuki said suddenly.

"What?"

Mizuki gave Morrel a funny look. "Don't look so upset. We'll kill this thing."

"How?" Morrel asked as the Eldrazi shook its head again.

"You're forgetting that I'm like an acrobat," Mizuki smiled. "I can get us both into position, but I'll need your help."

Cautious hope filled Morrel's gut. "What are you planning?"

"This!" Mizuki gripped the Eldrazi's neck with her right arm, then took Morrel's arm with her left hand. She tugged herself up with her strong right arm, hoisting both Morrel and herself into the air. With a shout of effort, Mizuki applied her cursed arm's superhuman strength to fling Morrel up and onto the Eldrazi's head, back where he had started. A second later, Mizuki pulled on her right arm and flipped herself onto the Eldrazi's head to join her battlemage friend.

"Can you get the plates off in time?" Morrel asked as the Eldrazi started to raise its arms again.

"If you help," Mizuki told him. "Use your crystals!"

"What do you mean... oh!" Realizing the plan, Morrel crouched and placed his palms on the space between two armor plates, taking a deep breath and flooding the last of his green, white, and blue mana into a single spell. Gold crystals erupted like fungi in the space between the armor plates, growing larger and harder as Morrel continued to pour his mana into the spell. The Eldrazi's armor plates strained and creaked against the pressure, and Mizuki seized the largest plate with her talons. With a single heave, Mizuki tore at the armor plate and tugged it out of place, revealing a twisted mass of soft, pink-purple flesh underneath.

Just as the Eldrazi's hands came up to swat off the two humans on its head, Mizuki slashed down with her arm's talons and gouged at the Eldrazi's exposed flesh. At once, the Eldrazi squealed and lurched, dropping its arms numbly as Mizuki's claws tore at the soft, exposed flesh. Not wanting to feel left out, Morrel drew two throwing knives and sliced the sharp blades across the exposed flesh, causing a series of trembles on the Eldrazi. Finally, Mizuki applied the last of her black mana reserves into her claws and tore out a hunk of Eldrazi flesh with a gush of dark purple blood. Gurgling noisily, the Eldrazi fell to its knees and limply collapsed face-first, the ground rushing up to meet it.

"Hang on!" Morrel seized an armor plate on the Eldrazi's head and crouched on the Eldrazi's exposed brain, using it as a shock absorber. Mizuki imitated the movement, wincing as the Eldrazi slammed onto the ground with a terrific crash. Morrel gritted his teeth to keep them from chattering from the impact, but otherwise he felt only a mild trembling as the Eldrazi fell. Heart hammering, Morrel let go of the Eldrazi's armor plate and landed on the rocky ground, relieved to feel actual earth under his feet. Mizuki landed lightly beside him, graceful as ever.

"L-look. We did it," Mizuki commented awkwardly, staring at the fallen Eldrazi's limp form. She broke out into a smile. "We did it!" She threw herself onto Morrel and squeezed him tight, nearly jumping up and down in her excitement.

"Our biggest enemy yet," Morrel added with a quick return smile, wrapping his arms around Mizuki and holding her tight. He tried not to blush as he held her curvy and warm body, suddenly aware that Mizuki had as many cuts and bruises as he did. He broke apart from her, retrieving two of his knives that were stuck in the Eldrazi's leg. His legs shook from exhaustion.

"Well, I'll be darned!" Zoira called over happily, the fires on her hands dying down as she un-summoned her phoenix. "Who knew that two kids could take down one of the Eldrazi?"

Morrel settled onto the ground before he collapsed. "You helped us get the job done. And I hope..." he wheezed, "that we don't fight another of these things again." He looked up. "Are these Eldrazi working for Azrael? There was the Kithkin army on Lorwyn and the Golgari and Izzet guilds of Ravnica working for him, after all..."

Zoira shook her head as the few remaining Eldrazi drones fled the scene. "No way. Based on information gathered from expeditions into hedron ruins, these monsters come from the space between the Planes to sate their blind hunger for mana and life force. They don't think, feel, or serve a higher cause. They just act."

"They die, too," Mizuki added brightly, and the three of them shared a good laugh over that.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Akoum Refuge, Kitesail Apprentice, Grappling Hook, Hand of Emrakul, Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Not of This World, Emrakul's Hatcher, Nest Invader, Eldrazi Spawn (creature token), Oblivion Ring, Crystallization**


	34. Chapter 34

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 34**

"Okay, _that _didn't upset my stomach quite as much," Mizuki commented as she, Morrel, and the others touched down on the rocky hills of Akoum the next day. Overhead, writhing, howling air currents churned the clouds and tossed everyone's hair about.

"I guess it's because you're more used to flying now," Morrel offered as he folded up his kitesail. Nearby, Sherbal similarly packed up his kitesail, a sour expression clear on his long, pale face.

"It will be slow going now," the Kor told everyone. "The Roil is acting up and disrupting wind currents, so we'll have to hike from here. Dead Man's Crags should be close by nightfall. Watch yourselves, people. This neck of Akoum isn't exactly friendly."

With that, Sherbal huffed and started along a winding dirt road, with the rest of Kamsa's Gliders and the others following closely behind. As he hiked under the warm Akoum sun, Morrel turned to Zoira. "Do you think Azrael's minions might get ahead of us if we have to walk all the way there?"

Zoira chewed on her lower lip. "I'm really not sure, but I can say that walking all the way to the Shard's location is making me uncomfortable."

"You think _you're _uncomfortable?" Mizuki made a face. "Try walking on this rough terrain without shoes!"

_She's pretty insistent about going barefoot, _Morrel thought, glancing at Mizuki, who winced slightly with every few steps. _But she says that going without footwear enhances her nimble movement. Whatever works for her._

"Oh, and by the way," Zoira added as the group walked near a rocky cliff. "Um, Morrel... sorry about last night."

"What?" Morrel blinked. "Don't worry about that. I was prying, and it was rude."

"Maybe," Zoira cracked a grin, "but you hardly even know me after all this time and there's no harm in telling about myself."

"Go on..."

Zoira's face fell a little. "Well, for one thing, my fire magic is unusual among elves, especially among my people, the Tajuru. In my small, remote village, I was the only one with magic power that strong, and the elders assigned me to the village's protector."

Thoughts of Grixis and Jund invaders ambling onto Akrasan soil crossed Morrel's mind. "What were you asked to protect your village from? A rival village?"

"Nothing so complex." Zoira shook her head. "My village had angered a small but powerful tribe of vampires that had moved from Guul Draz. Many vampire gangs wander Zendikar, even here in Akoum. Anyway, these vampires had used strange magic to control local surrakar, and they staged regular raids to plunder my village. The elders performed a ritual to draw out my inner fire magic, and the whole village was counting on me to protect everyone."

"What then?" Mizuki insisted.

Sorrow crossed Zoira's face. "My magic was too strong and chaotic. My abilities are specialized in summoning creatures from other places of the Multiverse, as you've seen. But when that power was drawn out, it went out of control. Burned down my entire village. All my fault."

Morrel recoiled. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't try to do anything wrong."

Unexpectedly, Zoira's smile returned, a little tightly. "Relax, Morrel. I've already thought about it a lot, and it's not really anyone's fault, not in particular." Her face settled again. "Still... it's not a pleasant thing you remember, you know. All my friends and family vaporized when my latent fire magic was released at once. I had a fiancee, too. Gone with everyone else."

Morrel averted Zoira's gaze. _Is that why she acts to cheery and carefree? To bury those memories? What sort of woman was she like before that incident? _"I'll be sure not to ask about this again."

"Your kindness is welcome," Zoira said warmly. "But like I said, please relax. If anything, it's my fault for not warning you about this topic. You were bound to be curious." She took a deep breath. "The bottom line is, I now have the power to summon fire monsters and I'm going to use every ounce of that power to help defeat Azrael. His scheme to reuse the Sphere of Ages will cause untold destruction and loss of life, even if he doesn't know it. I won't let that happen. You've got my word on that, kids."

Morrel straightened his back. "Understood."

"Yeah, me too," Mizuki added. Her eyes widened slightly. "Hey, when you had your fire magic drawn out... is that when your Spark activated?"

"Her what?" Morrel blurted.

"Yes, in fact," Zoira responded. "And Morrel, every Planeswalker is born with something called the Spark. A sufficiently traumatic experience, mental or physical, will activate it and the carrier will become a Planeswalker."

"Mine activated when that lizard Kami cursed me with its power," Mizuki said. "Remember me telling you that?"

Morrel scratched his head. "Something like that. I don't remember you telling me about Sparks, though."

"No big deal," Mizuki shrugged. "But that's the only way to become a Planeswalker: have a Spark, and get it activated. By what I've been told, some folks are born with one but spend their entire lives without ever using it. Damn shame, huh? Being a 'walker is so great."

Excitement and curiosity bubbled in Morrel's gut. "Makes me wonder if I have one, too? Then I could go anywhere!"

"Oh, I dunno," Mizuki figured as the group hiked up a road on a rusty red mountain. Three jade-green birds swooped by overhead. "With all that we've done, you would have had a Spark activated if you have one. Sorry to say it, but I really don't think you were born with one."

Morrel's shoulders fell. "Oh. Unlucky, then."

"Only about one in a million people is born with one anyway," Zoira added, slapping Morrel's back. "The odds were way against you anyway."

"I suppose..." Morrel said bashfully. _Well, there goes that idea. But still, I don't mind traveling with Mizuki as my guide through the Multiverse. Her Spark is good enough for me. _He glanced at Mizuki for a second and felt a thrill of gratitude. _She's done a lot of work for both of us._

Mizuki looked back and made a teasing smile. "You're looking at me rather intently."

"I – no I wasn't."

"You kind of were..."

"It's nothing," Morrel insisted, looking away quickly. "Just your imagination."

With a sly smile, Mizuki waved a hand in dismissal. "Whatever. But I'm not done with you yet."

"What does _that _mean?"

"You'll see..."

The sun climbed higher into the sky as Sherbal led everyone higher up the mountain range, and Sherbal periodically checked the air conditions with a small flag, always lowering it in disappointment. "The Roil is lingering here. We might not be able to fly until tomorrow at this rate. In that case, I'll find a shelter for us to camp at for the night. Stay close, everyone." At some point, after Zoira muttered a comment or two about the Roil, Morrel inquired about it. According to Zoira, the Roil was a global phenomenon that continuously shifted and altered the weather and geography of Zendikar one area at a time, making settlement-building and travel dangerous and tricky. "And for some darned reason I can't figure out," Zoira had added, "those hedrons never seem to mind the Roil. They just hover in place like they always do, not bothered by anything."

_I wonder who or what built those hedrons, _Morrel wondered idly as he looked up at the floating constructs._ So vast and strange, how they float up there. I wonder if... what? _A sudden cacophony made everyone jump, and both Mizuki and Morrel recoiled in shock. Loose rocks cascaded down the side of the mountain as a huge, red-skinned lizard the size of a large elephant and twice as long came thundering down the mountain. The scaled beast's huge claws raked at the rock, sparks flying from the point of contact. Morrel stared. _That lizard has a leather harness and reins on its head. There's somebody riding it! There he is! Is that... a goblin?_

Indeed, a shouting, gleeful long-eared goblin hung on to the lizard's reins, tugging on the leather cords to direct the beast's movement. Pushing hard off the mountain wall, the lizard sprang through the air and landed on the mountain path with a _thud_, blocking the way further up the mountain.

"Halt there, travelers!" shouted the goblin, waving a short sword. "Hand over all your valuables and you'll yet live! Chop, chop. I'm hungry and the food caravans will be leaving soon! Need to fill belly!"

Morrel tried not to laugh at the sight of this goblin. _There's eight of us and one of him! Even with that lizard mount, he has no idea what he's getting himself into. _"My fellow, this is ridiculous. Move along and we can all be on our way. There doesn't need to be any trouble here."

"But there does! Trouble brings profit!" giggled the goblin. "Who do you think you be, little human down there? You can't barter with me! Give over stuff!"

Sherbal sighed, taking hold of his double-hook weapon. "Then you leave me no choice. Prepare for death, goblin!"

"Pardon me, Sherbal," Morrel said slightly impatiently, stepping forward to confront the goblin's mount. White mana coalesced around his hands. "I can handle this."

The lizard grunted and pawed the ground with its talons, raking gouges out of the mountain path. "Good, good, gold-haired boy! Give me your valuables first!" the goblin demanded.

Without a reply, Morrel frowned slightly and thrust out his hands. With a surge of white mana, a huge ethereal ring flashed into existence, removing the goblin's giant lizard mount from reality. The goblin wailed in shock as he fell from the air, tumbling onto the mountain path. "No more! I leave you alone!" the goblin shouted earnestly, scampering down the mountain road and out of sight. Trying not to smile in amusement, Morrel released the Oblivion Ring and the giant lizard returned in a flash. Left riderless, the lizard trotted down the mountain path with its tail swishing back and forth.

"Now that was interesting," Mizuki elbowed Morrel with a smile. "You didn't even have to hurt them!"

"And I wouldn't," Morrel added. "There was no need for violence."

"More Bant stuff, I see..."

"You bet."

*o*o*o*o*

Sherbal hoped that the Roil's air currents would die down to allow for kitesail flight, but the tortured air currents remained hostile to flying. Instead, Sherbal led his party over the mountain range and to the forested section of Akoum, the soil richly fertilized by lava and a cycle of burnings to renew the soil's nutrients with dead plant matter. Once again, Sherbal's expert knowledge led him to what he wanted: a small explorer camp set on the forest's edge, a series of tents, huts, and campfire rings. By now, the sun sank over the horizon, and although Morrel was uncomfortably reminded of the previous evening's affairs, no sign of Eldrazi made itself clear, and everyone seemed at ease.

"Sleep tight, kids," Zoira winked as she rolled out her hut's bedroll. Nearby, a small hedron sat in the soft earth, half-buried and covered in moss, dirt, and scratches from animal claws. "I'm turning in early. Awaken me if something happens."

"Of course," Morrel nodded. "Sleep well." He, however, didn't feel tired yet and instead sat on a wide wooden bench outside his and Mizuki's tent, wondering whether to offer a prayer to the angels as per his traditions. _Can Asha and the other angels even hear me from here? _Morrel wondered with a slight shiver. _I used to think that Bant was the entirety of existence and that the angels had jurisdiction over everything. Now I know that all that is one piece of a much larger picture. But doesn't that make Bant more precious? That it's unique among the places I've seen? _He laughed at himself. _Maybe I really am tired. My mind is getting wonky._

"Not tired yet?" Mizuki put in with a small smile, wandering over to Morrel and settling next to him.

Morrel shook his head, then shrugged. "Not sure. On this Plane, being drowsy and vulnerable is dangerous, but I have to sleep sometime, right?"

"Yup." Mizuki folded her hands in her lap, looking over at Morrel. "Thinking about Bant, were you?"

"You could tell?" Morrel asked. _Jeez, I must be easy to read. _"I must have been making my I'm-feeling-homesick expression or something."

"Yeah, you were." Mizuki leaned on Morrel, wrapping her arms around his left arm and hugging tightly. "You looked happy."

Morrel swallowed, feeling his heart race. "Actually, happy that nothing bad has happened since that Eldrazi. We need a little break from the chaos around here."

"Yes, and this camp is nice enough," Mizuki commented. "For a wilderness refuge, at least." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I bet you'd rather be here with me than cooped up in that Akrasa castle. Am I wrong?"

"What I said earlier is still true: traveling to all these wild Planes is exciting," Morrel said honestly. "Heck, maybe I _am _jealous of your and Zoira's and Veldor's Sparks. So much freedom..."

Mizuki stifled a giggle. "Oh, please. You have me! Isn't that good enough for you?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then tell me you like me, Morrel," Mizuki smiled. "Friend, guide, fighting partner... I'm really there for you, you know. Don't you like me?"

"Sure I do," Morrel told her gently, lowering his voice as his heart started to pound in his chest. "You're the most dependable person I've met, and..."

"Ah ha! Then you do like me!" Mizuki said triumphantly. She made a sound of content. "That makes me happy to hear."

Morrel couldn't contain himself. "What's this all about? You know I'm your steadfast companion. Have you been having doubts? We've talked about this before..."

"I don't doubt anything," Mizuki told him fondly. "And I know we've talked about this before, but there's still all kinds of stuff I've wanted to tell you, but I haven't... well, worked up the courage for yet."

"Do you have some other life tale you haven't shared?" Morrel teased. He felt his skin tingle from where Mizuki leaned on him and tried not to blush. _Why does she have to be so cute?_

"No, dummy." Mizuki let go of Morrel's arm and instead took his hand in hers. She fidgeted. "Listen, um... oh jeez, I dunno how to put it. Bluntly, or some other way?"

Morrel watched her intently, heart still pounding. _What's she going to say? Is it about... no, it can't be. Can it?_

Mizuki nervously ran her free hand's fingers through her soft black hair. "Look, Morrel, I... you're not just a friend to me, or just a travel companion." She started to blush. "I really like you. You make me feel safe, and make me feel wanted, like I'm really somebody. And, um..." a smile tugged at her lips. "Over these last few days, I-I've fallen in lo -"

Something silver flashed through the air like an arrow, striking the wall of the hut with a solid _thunk_. Both Morrel and Mizuki recoiled away from each other, the object having traveled right between them. Morrel leaped to his feet, adrenaline suddenly coursing through him. A throwing knife rested in the wall of his hut, but it was more crude, and probably more sharp, than his own knives. The handle was made of a dark, twisted wood and the blade was serrated. _Who the hell threw that?_

"Vampire raid!" someone shouted, a human man hurrying out of his hut with a sword in hand. "Defend yourselves!"

Morrel's ears perked when he heard the rustling of unseen people or things moving swiftly through the foliage in the increasing darkness. Mizuki glared this way and that, her right arm swelling to full size. She flinched when a Kor explorer was suddenly tugged into the darkness, a hideous, rasping intake of breath coming a second later. Bright red blood suddenly leaked from the foliage and the Kor slumped lifelessly back into view, two large holes on the side of his neck.

From the tree branches leaped a number of humanoid creatures, some wielding knives and others brandishing short swords. Morrel raised his arms to defend himself, but the beings moved with alarming speed and grace. _Vampires... I've almost never even seen such things, let alone fought them! I have to stay on guard or I –_

Morrel didn't have time to finish the thought: a rope snare sprang from the treetops and seized his ankles, hoisting him into the shadowy lower branches of the trees. Scrambling to get himself upright on the tree branches, Morrel looked up just in time to see a brawny man clad in light leather armor lunge at him with two curvy swords flashing in the air. Morrel narrowly ducked the blow, letting the vampire's blades cut the rope traps off his legs. Morrel brought himself right before the vampire, too close to hit with the swords. The vampire snarled back at Morrel, red and black paint marks on his face and his eyes hard and dark. His lips curled back to reveal two long, sharp canines, sending a shiver down Morrel's spine. Refusing to be intimidated by such a monster, Morrel jabbed his elbow at the vampire's upper chest, knocking it off-balance. Pressing his advantage, Morrel whipped his fists through the air, catching the vampire on its jaw, throwing its head to the side. Another jab at the stomach collided with a fleshy smack.

Much to Morrel's surprise, the vampire smiled cruelly and bashed Morrel's forehead with the pommel of its left sword, causing a wave of pain and a flash in Morrel's vision. _My blows would easily disable a normal being! _Morrel realized. _But then again, I guess this is the power of vampires!_

The vampire raised its swords again but instead of attacking Morrel, it lightly drew its blades against its own chest, drawing trickles of red blood. Suddenly huffing and growling at the scent of blood, the vampire lunged again, jabbing its blades right at Morrel's face. Morrel backed away from the blows and conjured a blue-gold mana shield, letting the vampire's further blows rain uselessly on the barrier.

A heavy kick from behind collided with Morrel's lower back, throwing the Bant battlemage off-balance. _What was that? Another vampire? _A snarl of bloodlust confirmed the second vampire's presence right before it tackled Morrel with its brawny form, knocking the both of them out of the tree branches and to the ground below. Morrel grunted as the second vampire pinned him to the ground like a predator, the vampire's sharp teeth exposed as it lowered its jaws to Morrel's neck.

A quartet of thick black mana tendrils shot through the air, impaling the vampire in its shoulder and throwing it right off Morrel. As the vampire tumbled to the ground, Morrel sprang to his feet and saw Mizuki standing a dozen feet away, her left arm raised to eye level. "Saved your neck. Literally," the Kamigawa Planeswalker jibed. Two more sword-wielding vampires descended from the treetops, baring their fangs.

"All our camps keep getting attacked," Mizuki commented, watching over a dozen vampires do battle with the camp's inhabitants. "What a pain!" She raised her giant right arm as the vampires charged, but her arm came up too slowly to block the vampires' blows. One vampire slashed his blade across the thick black skin of Mizuki's right arm, drawing blood. The other vampire jabbed his swords at Mizuki's chest, forcing her to dodge. She raised her right arm again and swung it in a heavy blow, but the two vampires easily evaded the slow attack. The vampires placed themselves on either side of Mizuki and raised their swords to strike.

Blood pounding in his ears, Morrel hurled a throwing knife into the should of one vampire, making the monster grunt in surprise and back off, not lowering his swords. The other vampire, distracted, swung a slow blow that Mizuki narrowly evaded. Morrel lashed his foot through the air at the wounded vampire, and the vampire raised his sword pommel in a block. Morrel's foot bounced off the vampire's sword but the kinetic energy still rattled the bloodsucker's guard. Morrel threw a right jab at the vampire's chest, which the vampire sidestepped. The vampire bared its fangs and stabbed at Morrel's head, determined to hack off the battlemage's head. Morrel slipped past the attack and seized the vampire's thick arm, diverting the vampire's momentum. The vampire stumbled forward as Morrel tugged at its arm, then Morrel kicked the vampire's knee to force the bloodsucker to the ground. One more kick to the temple knocked the vampire out of the fight.

"Raaaah!" Mizuki used her giant arm to bash a vampire's guard, and her talons raked the bloodsucker's chest, drawing bright red blood. The vampire stumbled back but still managed to jab its sword forth, grazing Mizuki's shoulder.

Morrel hurried to the fight, throwing a kick that knocked the vampire's sword arm away. Angered, the vampire whirled around and jabbed Morrel right on the face, stunning the Bant battlemage for a second. Morrel reeled back from the powerful blow, slowly raising his arms. _I won't lose to creatures like vampires! What are these guys after? Don't tell me they're working for Azrael!_

Before either Morrel or Mizuki could make a move, a trio of flaming saber-toothed cats bounded through the forest, pouncing on nearby vampires with claw and fang. The bloodsuckers howled as the fire cats shredded them with flaming claws, and Zoira walked into the fray a minute later, her hands ablaze with fiery red mana. "Thought you guys could use some help!" she called out.

"Thanks for that," Morrel told her, retrieving his thrown knives. "Are there any left?" All around him were slain Kor, human explorers, and vampires.

Zoira lowered her arms and her fire cats settled on their haunches. "Doesn't look like it," she said. "But don't lower your guard yet. Vampires almost never give up when there's blood to be had."

"Understood." Morrel turned to Mizuki, who was wincing at the stinging pain of her giant right arm's wounds. "Mizuki? You seemed to be having trouble..."

"Yeah, it's because of that damned Roil's mana torrents," Mizuki said tightly, flexing her cursed arm's fingers shakily. "It's making the Kami mana of my right arm go haywire. It feels heavy and numb. And my mana tendrils are difficult to summon here." She made a face. "Zendikar isn't too kind to my curse. In fact, this place is aggravating it."

Morrel made a placating face. "We're doing all we can to rid you of that curse. You'll just have to hang on until then." _I wish I could do more to help her, but counteracting curses is way beyond me._

"True," Mizuki said, sounding half-convinced. "Though I wouldn't mind getting a move on first thing in the morn – ugh!"

She fell to her knees, her mismatched hands clawing at the earth in strain. Morrel felt it too: a heavy, thick _presence _infused itself into the very air, weighing down Morrel's mind and body. He fought against the pressure, unwilling to be subdued by such a wicked-feeling presence. Still, he ground his teeth as he slowly started to bend his knees from the pressure.

"What... what is this?" Zoira gritted as she fell to her hands and knees, her fire cats howling from the pressure. A loud humming of corrupted mana flooded Morrel's ears, making it hard for him to hear Zoira's next words: "Guys, it's coming from outside the forest, whatever it is!"

"Should we... ugh... run?" Mizuki bit back. The air wavered and distorted from the power permeating it. "Into the forest?"

"**There's no need for that," **boomed a deep, confident voice in Morrel's mind. By the expressions they made, Zoira and Mizuki heard it too. **"Come out here and meet me outside the forest, or you'll only suffer more. Don't be afraid. You cannot run very far anyway as long as I maintain this pressure field."**

The pressure eased a little, and Zoira struggled to her feet, her face streaked with sweat. "Morrel, Mizuki, follow me," she said heavily, marching her way to the forest edge, her fire saber-tooth cats trotting with her. "I bet we've met another of Azrael's minions. This is our chance to take him out!"

_True, but this pressure... what kind of hideously powerful being are we dealing with here? _Morrel wondered with dread. _And these vampires were just a prelude. I bet this new guy used them just to test us and kill off the other explorers first. _He shook his head. _Get it together. You've fought off Azrael's goons before. You can do it again!_

"Let's go," Mizuki said doggedly, following after Zoira through the forest, her giant right arm dragging behind her. "These people are making me angry!"

"Well, that should motivate you, then," Morrel commented lightly as he tagged along. Once he and the others broke out of the forest, they emerged onto a wide, earthy cliff bathed in the blazing evening sun. The jagged mountains, bluffs, and hedrons of Akoum formed an impressive panorama all around, but Morrel's attention was focused on the single being standing in the middle of the cliff.

"There you all are," the newcomer welcomed them with a mocking grin. "For a minute I was afraid that you would run away after all."

"Run? Please," Mizuki snapped back. She warily eyed the stranger. The man easily towered over her, even taller than Veldor. A shock of blond hair stuck up on his scalp, similar to the hairstyles of soldier drill instructors Morrel had seen back at home. His face was heavy and somewhat square, his hard gray eyes alight with wicked glee. Over his powerful chest he wore a suit of studded black leather armor with no sleeves, revealing brawny arms. On his feet he wore heavy combat boots and a small gray cape fluttered on the man's left shoulder.

_He must be a heavy melee fighter, _Morrel figured. _No visible weapons or tools. I'll bet he uses red and green mana like Rohkan did. _The sword-wielding Vedalken came to Morrel's mind _Is this guy Rohkan's replacement?_

"Zendikar is a dangerous place," the stranger remarked. "You all would have been better off to never come here. That Sphere shard is as good as mine."

"Trust me, Zendikar's wilderness is easy enough for me to handle," Zoira retorted, more fire magic coalescing on her hands. Her fire cats growled. "And you will be, too!"

The stranger laughed. "You have spirit, Zoira," he told her. "Oh, and how rude of me. My name is Nihil, a compatriot of Azrael. And you kids must be Morrel and Mizuki. The defensive spellcaster and the girl with the cursed arm! I've been wanting to meet you both for a while."

_He talks a lot, but he must have the power to back it up, _Morrel thought nervously, dropping into a defensive posture. _I can't underestimate him! I'll use everything: barriers, martial arts, my crystal spell..._

"Enough nonsense," Zoira declared, taking a step forward. She raised her arms a little. "Friend of Azrael, you're going to regret taking us on! Morrel, Mizuki?"

Mizuki raised her cursed arm as best she could. "Yeah."

Zoira turned to Morrel, who nodded his readiness.

Nihil shrugged and raised his hands in preparation to brawl. "Then let's begin, everyone!"

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Kitesail Apprentice, Goblin Roughrider, Grappling Hook, Oblivion Ring, Forest (Vincent Proce), Vampire Lacerator, Tendrils of Corruption**


	35. Chapter 35

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 35**

Nihil's oddly cheery disposition set Morrel ill at ease. _Does he take this seriously? _the Bant battlemage wondered, tightening his fists. _Either way, I have to assume that he does. Underestimating a foe is a fatal mistake! _A nearby storm was slowly approaching, apparently the source of the disruptive air currents that prevented kitesailing. Morrel wondered if it was the Roil.

Zoira, meanwhile, extended her hand in a gesture to her fire cats, which all charged and pounced at Nihil with frightening speed, their flaming paws galloping on the rocky cliff. With fierce roars and a flash of their saber teeth, the summoned cats descended upon Nihil, who made no move to dodge or block them. A second later, Morrel found out why: a great blast of writhing, purple-black fire erupted from Nihil's outstretched hands, enveloping the fire cats. Morrel took a step back to avoid the heat of the fire, but oddly, he felt nothing. _What? Even magic fire has heat! I mean, Rohkan's fireballs were hot enough..._

"Was that all?" Nihil taunted Zoira as the flames died down, lowering his hands. No trace remained of the fire cats. He jabbed a finger at Zoira. "Better fight harder or die, elf girl!"

Zoira scooted back one foot, bracing herself. "If you insist," she retorted. "Morrel, Mizuki, cover me!"

"Yeah!" Mizuki agreed, running around the right edge of the battlefield with her giant right arm held at the ready. Morrel went around the other side, drawing two of his throwing knives. _I've only got enough red mana for two more detonations. After that, it's fist-to-fist! _He hurled his two knives at Nihil's flank while Mizuki pounced with her right arm reaching out for the kill. Aware that he'd have to cast a lot of spells quickly, Morrel braced himself and flooded mana to his hands. A blue-gold barrier erupted around Mizuki a split-second before Nihil blasted purple fire at her, and then Morrel channeled his red mana from his hands to the knives. Just as both knives reached Nihil, eruptions of red mana blossomed from both weapons.

"You use fire, too?" Nihil commented, covering his face with an arm as he staggered back from the flames. "Interesting!" As he spoke, the nearby storm drew closer, its heavy dark clouds obscuring the evening sky, blasting its air currents everywhere.

"Over here!" Mizuki taunted, lashing out with her giant arm's talons. Nihil's gaze snapped back to Mizuki and he merely grinned. Raising his left arm, Nihil seized Mizuki's right wrist, tensing his muscles as he stopped Mizuki's assault cold. Stuck in place, Mizuki wriggled in Nihil's grip and conjured black mana to her left arm for a magic attack. Before Mizuki's tendrils could be summoned, however, Nihil heaved Mizuki over his shoulder, smashing her onto the ground on her back, shocking her.

_He overpowered Mizuki's strong arm! _Morrel gawked. He felt chills down his back. _My melee plan suddenly doesn't sound so good. Zoira, where are your – there we go!_

Zoira's fiery summon circle appeared in thin air, and two elephant-sized wingless dragons ambled out, both roaring their fury with hundreds of sharp teeth exposed. Both dragons scampered forward on their lizard-like legs, sending two streams of fire straight at Nihil. Mizuki scrambled out of harm's way while Nihil vaulted to the side, letting the flames wash over the earth instead. Not giving up, both dragons ambled closer to Nihil, breathing another wave of flames.

"So much fire," Nihil griped. He leaped out of the way again, but this time Mizuki conjured her black mana tentacles, sending all of the tendrils at Nihil. The brawny man cried out as a few of the tendrils punched into his flesh while the rest missed and pierced the ground instead. Seeing his chance, Morrel slipped past the raging fire and mana tendrils, charging at Nihil's blind spot. A quick jab caught Nihil's jaw, throwing the man's head around. Unrelenting, Morrel landed two blows to Nihil's sternum, forcing the bigger man to stumble back in shock. Morrel leaned on his right leg as his left foot snapped out, blasting into Nihil's kidney area. Shouting in agony, Nihil crashed to the ground in a heap.

Morrel's heart hammered with excitement and adrenaline at the sight. "Let's finish him quick!" he declared, charging for the kill. Mizuki and Zoira were more than happy to comply; Mizuki sprang closer to the action with her talons at the ready, while Zoira commanded her dragons to breathe another wave of fire.

"Just kidding!" Nihil declared.

At once, something hard and invisible crashed into Morrel, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him back with titanic force. He felt himself get thrown to the ground, rolling to a stop a few feet away. Mizuki, too, was sent tumbling to the earth in a heap, and Morrel realized that Nihil had released some sort of shock wave. _He was just toying with us! Damn him!_

The twin dragons continued to spout fire, but Nihil charged at the dragons while zig-zagging to throw off the dragons' aim. Leaping into the air, Nihil smashed his fist into one dragon's neck, releasing cords of white mana that snaked over the dragon's body. With a strangled shriek, the dragon slumped limply to the ground as the mana cords sizzled on its scales.

Undaunted, the other dragon lashed its claws through the air, forcing Nihil back. Zoira, meanwhile, conjured six more fire cats and sent them charging at their foe. Nihil's kick blasted two cats away and he whirled around, a quick puff of purple fire obliterating a third. The dragon's paw smashed into Nihil, cutting into his skin and throwing him to the ground.

"Now!" Morrel told Mizuki. He dashed over to Nihil with white mana crackling in his hands, and Mizuki charged with her claws at the ready. Just as Nihil batted away the remaining fire cats and got to his feet, Morrel thrust out his hands. The familiar Oblivion Ring popped into existence, tightening around Nihil's right shoulder like a clasp. A second ring encased itself on Nihil's left shoulder, spitting out white sparks as it tightened itself on its target. _Nihil can't do anything if his arms are gone! _Morrel told himself smugly.

Nihil wasn't impressed.

"Raaaaah!" Nihil snapped out his arms and with a blast of congealed black and white mana, both Oblivion Rings shattered into ethereal fragments. Mizuki landed right in front of him, raking her claws across Nihil's armored chest while she still had the chance. Her cursed talons cut through Nihil's leather jacket and drew dark blood, and in response Nihil swung a meaty fist, smashing into the side of Mizuki's head, stunning her. A heavy kick blasted into Mizuki's chest, staggering her back.

"Don't you touch her!" Morrel roared, wildly swinging at Nihil's flank. Nihil bashed away Morrel's attack with his left arm, then seized Mizuki's leg with his right hand. At once, more cords of glowing white mana appeared and wrapped themselves around Mizuki from head to toe. Mizuki gasped as her body went limp, even her giant right arm relaxing.

Zoira's summoned creatures descended upon Nihil in a wave, three fire cats and the dragon all slashing their claws through the air. Nihil juked and dodged from side to side, letting the creatures' attacks swish through empty air. One fire cat raked Nihil's back with its flaming claws, scoring shallow burns across his skin. In return, Nihil's kick blasted away the fire cat, then he conjured another blast of dark fire at the remaining dragon. The dragon reeled back from the fire but it was too slow: purple flames bathed its right arm and leg, causing it to screech and wail in protest.

"H-help me!" Mizuki cried out, staring up at the sky. "Morrel!"

"Hold on," Morrel told her tensely, kneeling by her side. He carefully touched one mana cord with a knife, but the knife's steel edge merely bounced off the cord's ethereal surface. Frowning, Morrel stretched out his hands over Mizuki's prone body, flooding his hands with green mana. His head started to feel light and his muscles ached from the constant use of magic, but he had no other choice. Primordial green mana washed over Mizuki's body, sparking and hissing as it came into contact with Nihil's paralyzing spell. Green and white vapors choked the air as Morrel poured more mana into his work, and Mizuki said tightly, "I-I think it's working. I feel a little looser. Keep going!"

"If I can!" Morrel bit back, his head pounding. "Green mana isn't my specialty, nor is red." He could hear a few of the white mana cords snapping from his naturalizing spell, but couldn't tell yet if Mizuki could break herself free. The increasingly strong storm buffeted Morrel with its gales, but he ignored the weather and kept working.

A strong grip suddenly wrapped itself around Morrel's neck, startling him. His naturalizing spell fizzled out as the grip tightened, and Morrel felt himself get hoisted into the air. Nihil's tough but gleeful face was suddenly before his, and Morrel realized that the bigger man had grabbed his neck and now held him up. Morrel's booted feet dangled almost a foot off the ground.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, boy?" Nihil remarked. "Your melee skills, that fire-knife trick, Oblivion Rings, and now anti-enchantment work!"

"Y-you know about Oblivion Rings?" Morrel choked back. Such a spell was a closely-guarded secret among the battlemages of Bant, as far as he knew.

"You're not a Planeswalker, so you don't quite know as much as I," Nihil told him. "Spells like that are more common than you think. You'll never get a chance to see that for yourself, though, because now I will kill you!"

Nihil planted his other hand onto Morrel's gut, purple fire starting to well up. Morrel felt a thrill of panic. _I've got to get free! Zoira! Do something!_

As though hearing his thoughts, Zoira's phoenix, apparently recently summoned, swooped through the sky, flapping its wings and releasing a powerful blast of seething air. Morrel felt Nihil's grip on him loosen as the both of them were easily thrown to the ground by the hot gale, crashing into a confused tangle. As the phoenix glided overhead, Morrel lashed out his foot and felt it connect on Nihil, loosening the man's grip even more. Morrel wrenched himself free and scrambled to his feet, quickly checking himself: no burn damage. He looked over at Zoira's unbound dragon and saw that its right arm and leg were completely gone, not even ashes left. _Just how hot is that fire?_

Nihil sprang to his feet and swung his fist at Morrel's head, forcing Morrel to duck and skitter to the side. Morrel's foot landed on Nihil's thigh, destabilizing the larger man and throwing off his balance. Morrel's jab to the ribs and blow to the stomach forced Nihil back a little, but then Nihil's blow to the face caused Morrel's vision to flicker and his ears ring. Morrel reeled back, barely able to see Nihil's next punch coming. Slipping to the side just in time, Morrel let Nihil's fist swish through empty air and countered by aiming a blow at Nihil's jaw. Nihil caught the blow with his other hand, seizing Morrel's wrist. White mana flared on Nihil's fingers at once.

Knowing what was coming, Morrel in turn wrapped his fingers around Nihil's arm, blasting green, white, and blue mana onto Nihil's arm. Hardened crystals erupted on Nihil's arm, cutting off the man's flow of white mana and disabling the whole limb. Feeling Nihil's grip loosen, Morrel slipped his other arm free and went on the offensive again, raining his fists at Nihil's face and chest. The bigger man winced at the attacks, but then his foot lashed out, blasting Morrel back yet again.

"Enough of that!" Nihil barked, thrusting out his free arm while his crystal arm hung loosely at his side. More purple fire raged out of Nihil's free arm, and Morrel quickly scrambled out of the way just in time. The purple fire evaporated the very earth, leaving a smooth and scorch-free crater in the ground.

_How is that happening? _Morrel wondered. _That fire isn't burning anything. Does it have some other effect? _He looked back at the injured dragon and again, saw no marks of burns. Something lit up in hid mind. _That fire erases whatever it touches! Nihil uses black and white mana, and I've seen battlemages corrupted by Grixis magic use obliteration spells before. I can't let that fire touch me, or I'm done for!_

Nihil swept his arm through the air, flooding the ground with an inferno of dark fire that slowly caught up to the fleeing Morrel. Overhead, Zoira's phoenix blasted a stream of fire at Nihil, who merely leaped out of the way and kept aiming his obliteration magic at Morrel. Realizing that he needed to take Nihil by surprise, Morrel dove for cover behind a nearby boulder, his breath coming in rapid gasps. Taking a second to re-assess the battlefield, Morrel checked Zoira's dragons: the injured one slowly dragged itself forward on its remaining limbs, while the other one started to wrench itself free from Nihil's white mana cords, popping one cord at a time.

A rush of purple fire flooded onto the boulder, rapidly disintegrating the rock into nothingness as the fire pressed closer to Morrel. Alarmed, Morrel scrambled out from his cover and hurried toward Mizuki and the dragons, Nihil's fire slowly catching up to him. Great gouges of the cliff vanished as the fire crept across the ground, Nihil continuously pouring the flames from his free hand.

"I'm... almost free!" Mizuki gasped, straining against her white mana cords. Abandoning all caution, Morrel poured the remains of his green mana onto the white cords, corroding them further. His arms trembled and ached from the effort, but he kept the mana going until Mizuki broke free and leaped to her feet.

"How much of that fire can Nihil conjure?" Mizuki wondered, staring at the blasts of dark fire that went everywhere. "He's not even tired!"

"Well, I sure am," Morrel panted. "I can't even conjure the crystals anymore. I need Zoira's help. And yours."

Mizuki raised her right arm to eye level. "And you'll have it. We just need Zoira to give us cover... now!"

Zoira's phoenix swooped past again, riding the savage air currents and releasing an even bigger blast of fire at Nihil. At the same time, the paralyzed dragon finally broke free of its restraints and ambled forward, adding its fire to the phoenix's. An inferno exploded around Nihil, the intense heat radiating for dozens of yards. Both Morrel and Mizuki braced themselves and covered their faces with their arms against the buffeting hot gales. _Now that was bound to deal some damage! _Morrel thought with careful optimism. _With any luck, Mizuki and I can finish him._

Morrel and Mizuki darted across the cliff toward the inferno, letting the fires die down a little. Before the fires could dissipate, a sudden shock wave from inside the blaze puffed away the flames, leaving Nihil standing tall with mild burns all across his skin and the crystals on his left arm shattered. He was visibly sweating and breathing hard, but still brought up his cocky grin as Morrel and Mizuki came closer.

Dread clenched Morrel's gut. _We still didn't get him! I'll just have to pound him flat!_

"Stay away," Nihil barked, extending his left palm. A swath of heatless purple fire erupted from his hand, quickly engulfing the ground with deadly flames. Morrel brought himself to a half just before he touched the unnatural flames, Mizuki stopping right beside him. Taking advantage of his protection, Nihil reached his right arm up to the sky as Zoira's phoenix swooped by again. Instead of purple fire, a column of jagged crystals shot out of Nihil's hand. The crystalline formation snagged the phoenix's foot and crept up its body, coating it in plates of crystal.

"Hey! That's _your _crystallization attack!" Mizuki shouted indignantly, glancing over at Morrel for an explanation.

"I don't know how he's doing that," Morrel bit back as the purple flames slowly died down. "He does have white mana, but that spell requires green and blue mana too."

The phoenix cawed in distress as it came crashing down from the weight of the crystals, sprawling awkwardly across the cliff side. Nihil clenched his fist and the crystals exploded, obliterating the phoenix. The two dragons shuffled back in fear while Zoira stumbled away from the crash site, limping somewhat.

Nihil pounced, both arms outstretched. Zoira backed up a few steps and raised her arms to conjure more creatures, but her eyes bugged out and she gasped in shock when a tight bundle of black mana tendrils erupted from Nihil's hands and impaled her chest. The Tajuru elf trembled, slowly backing up a step as blood leaked from her wound. Black mana sizzled off the tendrils, cauterizing the injury but damaging Zoira's flesh even more.

Her shoulders slumping, Zoira awkwardly turned her head to face Morrel and Mizuki, her eyes going dull. "S-sorry, guys," she gasped, then slumped face-down to the ground as Nihil retracted his tendrils. All of her remaining summoned creatures evaporated on the spot.

The purple flames finally died down, leaving a smooth, shallow trench on the cliff surface. Morrel hesitated to cross it, fully aware of what Nihil was capable of. _No way... Zoira can't have died from that! We need her! It would take more than that to take her down... right? And that was Mizuki's spell, those tendrils._

"He's copying all our attacks!" Mizuki gritted, not taking her eyes off Zoira's limp form as Nihil cracked his knuckles. "Morrel, I've seen this before: black mana can dominate and warp others, even copying powers for a time. Blue mana does that better, but black can manage it, especially when paired with the structured, defensive traits of white."

"Very smart, Kamigawa girl!" Nihil confirmed. "I can mimic whatever spell strikes me. Just like this!"

More tendrils erupted from his hands, filling the air in all directions. Morrel ducked and dodged them as best he could, wincing as tendrils sliced past his skin. Protecting himself with a barrier of white and blue magic, Morrel charged headfirst at Nihil with Mizuki at his side. Mizuki's claws lashed at Nihil in a wild frenzy, forcing Nihil to back up and dodge the blows. Morrel got in close and threw the heaviest punches he could manage, landing his fists across Nihil's chest and face. The black-white mage quickly recovered, swatting aside Morrel's latest punch and countering, his meaty fist shooting through the air. Morrel narrowly dodged the blow, slipping below Nihil's guard to throw another punch. At the same time, Mizuki descended her claws on Nihil's head.

The second both Morrel's and Mizuki's blows landed, Nihil tensed himself and released another shock wave, blasting both Morrel and Mizuki onto their backs. The Roil's gales pushed them back even further, scooting toward Zoira's limp form. Morrel shakily got to his feet, his muscles burning and head throbbing. Nihil strode toward him, his cape billowing in the Roil's raging winds. Nihil raised a hand to shield his face from the winds, squinting slightly. "Your time has come, battlemage!" Nihil shouted over the winds. He staggered slightly from the buffeting gales. "This is as far as your journey goes. Azrael will complete his Sphere of Ages and I won't let you or anyone else interfere with his work!"

"Azrael doesn't know what he's doing!" Morrel blurted. As he spoke, cracks started to spread across the cliff, possibly due to the roil. "That Sphere will only unleash catastrophe that will claim many more lives across the Planes! His noble goal is mistaken. Help me stop him! There's no good that can come of it!"

Nihil barked hos laughter over the Roil. "Nice try, son, but I have too much invested interest in that Sphere's completion. I'm going to retrieve the Sphere fragment on this Plane and get the other two that you've collected from Lorwyn and Ravnica. You cannot stop me."

_Argh. I'm not in fighting shape anymore, _Morrel realized as Nihil drew closer. _The best I can do is retreat! _"Mizuki! We've got to get away! Let's pick up Zoira and get out!"

"How? We aren't fast enough!" Mizuki argued, bracing herself against the raging storm. The cracks deepened on the cliff, causing the whole formation to groan ominously. "And this storm isn't helping!"

A thought popped into Morrel's mind. "Yes, it is! Get Zoira and back away from the cliff edge. The Roil will do the rest!"

"Raaaah!" Nihil clenched his fists and broke into a headlong charge, but he stumbled and swayed when his foot caught on a broken outcropping of rock. Pouring rain descended as the Roil started to disintegrate the very cliff, grinding it into pieces starting at the edges. Mizuki seized Zoira's left arm and Morrel took the elf's right arm, the both of them dragging their Planeswalker friend as fast as they could from Nihil. The black-white mage started to push through the storm, but then another blast of air shoved him off his feet and sent him tumbling toward the cliff precipice. Just as Morrel and Mizuki reached the safety of the forest, the cliff shattered completely and vast chunks of rock fell into the ravine below, Nihil among them.

Only by staying low did Morrel and Mizuki reach the forest in time to avoid the gales, and Morrel gently set Zoira on the forest's dirt ground as he watched the cliff fall apart. _Okay, that gets rid of Nihil... for now. Lucky that the Roil caught up to us, or Mizuki and I would be in bad shape! And Zoira... come on, bounce back from this!_

Within the safety of the forest, Mizuki and Morrel propped up Zoira on a tree trunk, searching the elf's packs for any emergency supplies. They found bandages, hooks and rations, but Morrel could already tell he was too late: Zoira wasn't breathing, and after checking her neck and wrists, he felt no pulse either. He locked eyes with Mizuki. "We've lost her."

Mizuki swallowed tensely as the Roil continued its rampage. "Y-yeah." Visibly perturbed, she settled onto a large tree root. "But we'll have to wait for morning before we do anything. It's dark, and there's that storm..."

"Right." Trying not to look at Zoira, Morrel sat cross-legged by another tree. "And when the morning comes, we will do anything and everything we can to resume our mission. Nihil hasn't taken us out of the game just yet."

Mizuki's eyes blazed. "Damned right he hasn't."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Oblivion Ring, Naturalize, Crystallization, Forest (Vincent Proce)**


	36. Chapter 36

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 36**

Luckily, there was no further sign of Nihil as the evening wore on, and both Morrel and Mizuki settled into an uneasy sleep within the forest's depths as the Roil raged on. As Morrel lay on his back in his assigned tent, he closed his eyes and listened to the howling winds and booming thunder of the progressing storm, wondering how much the terrain would be altered and re-arranged by the phenomenon. _There was nothing like this back home, _he mused, wondering how much longer he'd have to wait for sleep to come. Another boom of thunder rattled the air. _I have to take the good with the bad when it comes to exploring new worlds, I guess! That's only fair._

He thought back to Zoira, the elf getting impaled by Nihil's re-creation of Mizuki's mana tendrils. His insides seemed to chill. _We have to do something about Zoira. She's led Mizuki and I this far into our quest. We need her! But... is there truly a way to bring back the dead? It's a long shot but it's worth it. I'll ask Sherbal in the morning._

*o*o*o*o*

"Hmmmm? Returning the dead back to life? Yes, boy, it can be done," Sherbal answered Morrel's question briskly the next morning. The Kor busily rummaged in his borrowed tent, pulling out his kitesail and checking its rigging. "But what you're suggesting is dangerous."

"Just tell us what to do," Mizuki added impatiently, her arms folded. Behind her, the other men and women of Kamsa's Gliders setting up their kitesails.

Sherbal nodded, content that his kitesail was in working condition. "A few temples are known across Zendikar's continents to contain powerful life magic. There's even one here on Akoum, a series of catacombs set in a wide valley not too far from here. As I said, however, going there isn't as simple as it sounds." He hefted his kitesail over his back and strode toward the cliff beyond the forest edge. Or rather, what was left of the cliff. The other Kamsa's Gliders members followed him, also carrying the three spare kitesails for Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira.

"Is the temple guarded, by any chance?" Morrel asked as the group checked the open winds. The sky was cloudless and bright, with no sign of the Roil evident. A light wind blew past, and four massive hedrons hovered high overhead like sentinels.

"Guarded?" Sherbal forced a laugh. "In a sense. Facilities like that temple are situated in rough terrain, treacherous to explore. What's more, ancient traps and magic defy all but the most hardened explorers. If there is resurrection magic to be found, expect tough defenses."

Morrel bristled, drawing himself to his full height. "I won't be intimidated by this world or its inhabitants. Sherbal, I request that you take Mizuki and I to this valley temple. It's our only chance to get Zoira back. Our quest can't go on without her." _We have to reach the Sphere fragment before Nihil does! We're falling behind as it is._

The rugged Kor pursed his lips for a moment, then nodded curtly and snapped open his kitesail. "Very well, but you've been warned," he said with a hint of a smile. "Get your kitesails, Morrel, Mizuki. Iztet, retrieve the elf's body and carry it."

One of the male Gliders nodded, dashing back into the forest and returning with Zoira's limp form. He carried her gently and set her down even more carefully, strapping his kitesail to himself. Then, without a hint of revulsion, he took firm hold of Zoira's body and tied it to himself. Last, he closed his eyes and radiated a mist of shimmering white mana that settled onto his kitesail like a fine dust. "To enhance my flight to accommodate the extra weight," he explained when he saw Morrel's and Mizuki's confused expressions.

"Right," Morrel commented, securing his kitesail onto his back as Mizuki did the same with hers. He unfolded his kitesail's wings and took a deep breath. "Let's fly."

*o*o*o*o*

Just as Morrel guessed, the light, gentle winds made for quick and smooth flying, but he still found himself dipping unexpectedly and veering off-course, so constant adjustments had to be made. Nearby, Mizuki similarly fought against her drifting, her face screwed in concentration.

"Do not feel bad," Sherbal called over his shoulder at them both. "Kitesailing is not an easy art to master. You only need more practice."

"Haven't you already said something like that?" Mizuki bit back impatiently as she fought not to drift from a sudden shift in the breeze.

Only hedrons and birds passed by the kitesail group as Sherbal led them to a rockier section of Akoum, and before long a panorama of badlands sprawled below Morrel, stark and unforgiving. Unfazed by the barren terrain, Sherbal angled downward and glided in a steep curve toward a wide valley that had many boulders jumbled at the bottom. The rest of his airborne party followed suit, landing on a short but wide cliff that jutted out from the valley wall.

"I thought the temples around here had rough terrain to navigate," Morrel commented, folding up his kitesail.

Sherbal couldn't help a wide grin. "Unless you have a kitesail."

"Hey, we're not alone," Mizuki noticed, pointing. Everyone turned and beheld a party of five goblins with mottled gray-green skin, all of them carrying machetes and rope. One of them also had a torch. The lead goblin gawked at the sight of the Kor and humans, clenching his machete tightly.

"What you do here?" the lead goblin demanded.

"We have an important mission to carry out," Sherbal told the goblin, taking a few steps forward. "Our friend, a Tajuru elf, lost her life in a difficult battle. This temple will bring her back to us."

The goblin's ears perked up and the rest of its party made chattering noises. "Yes! Powerful magic! Get sample for masters," the leader agreed. "Let us go together!"

Sherbal narrowed his eyes. "Masters? Who?"

"Matter not! We go now," the goblin leader insisted, leading his fellows into an artificial opening set in the valley wall. Morrel watched the five goblins march inside, lighting up their torch along the way. The temple opening was barely seven feet tall and shaped like a trapezoid, wider at the base. Strange runes were etched into the stone blocks that lined the entrance.

Mizuki glanced at Sherbal. "Are they going to be an issue somehow?"

"Most likely not," Sherbal shook his head, following the goblins and motioning for everyone else to follow. "They can be of some use."

"You think they will obey you?" Morrel asked, entering the temple with everyone else. The air suddenly became damp and cool.

"They'll have more important uses," Sherbal said mysteriously.

The Glider named Iztet now carried Zoira over his shoulder, slowed down slightly by his load. He did not complain, however, and his eyes drank in the temple's sights with everyone else. This long, wide tunnel had numerous branching rooms, each containing a stone bed and wash basin. The light of the goblin's torch revealed everything nearby, but there were still too many shadows for Morrel's liking, and the smell of moss and fungi and the staleness of the air bothered him more by the minute. He shivered slightly but didn't complain, instead clenching his teeth.

"Oh, many ways to go," the lead goblin noted as the large party entered a vast, circular room that branched into three ways. The torch seemed to be enchanted because its light spread far enough to light up the whole room, revealing stone staircases that curved upwards against the stone wall, leading into yet more rooms and chambers. Several tall obelisks stood near the walls, their etched runes glowing with a soft blue light.

"Does any part of this architecture look familiar?" Morrel muttered into Sherbal's ear, hoping that the Kor's experience on this world would help out here.

Sherbal tapped a finger on his chin. "Yes, I've seen a ruin or two like this before. I can't say I know every room here, but if the pattern holds, the right way to go should be -"

"Onwards!" the lead goblin declared, leading his party on. The five goblins marched into the room's center, trodding on circular stones set on the floor.

"Hey! Wait!" Sherbal shouted, extending a pale hand. He was too late: as soon as the goblins' feet pressed on the circular stone plates, arrows suddenly filled the air, the deadly shafts impaling the goblins from head to foot. Red blood leaked onto the chamber floor as arrow-riddled goblins shrieked in agony, flailing for a minute before falling to the floor. Only one of them managed to get back up.

"My... knee!" the goblin moaned, his long ears flattened in meekness as he clutched at an arrow that had struck his left knee. Sherbal hurried over, avoided the circular stones, and knelt by the wounded goblin. After one other Kor picked up the enchanted torch for lighting, Sherbal gently extracted the arrow from the goblin's flesh and retrieved a roll of bandages from a pouch on his belt. He wrapped several layers of soft white cloth on the goblin's knee, then helped the creature back onto its feet.

"What _was _that?" Morrel stared. "What sort of magic...?"

"It's more mundane than that," Sherbal told him. "Pressure plates on the floor trigger hidden gears and pulleys when stepped upon, and the arrows hidden in the walls fire. That trap can last hundreds of years, waiting for a victim."

Mizuki made a face. "Remind me not to step on any more weird stuff on the floor."

"Oh, there are other ways to trigger traps," Sherbal said with a short laugh. "Stay close, everyone. We're taking the hallway directly ahead of us. That is the way."

Fervently glad that Sherbal was leading the party and not him, Morrel carefully circumvented the pressure plates and jostled with everyone else into the hallway, wondering what was waiting for his party next.

The hallway opened into a vast, multi-story chamber illuminated by glowing white crystals set into the walls at regular intervals, and Morrel beheld numerous balconies and catwalks in the vast chamber. An empty fountain stood in the room's center, and several alcoves nestled themselves into the walls.

"Slow... slow..." the wounded goblin muttered to everyone, slowly shuffling forward and favoring his good leg. His ears were pressed flat against his head in agitation. "Not trigger trap... no no..."

"Hey," Mizuki brightened. Everyone turned to her. "I've got Sora. He's from Esper, a place of arcane magic and wisdom and whatnot. He can sniff out traps, I bet."

"Good thinking," Morrel grinned. Returning the smile, Mizuki fetched her small, palm-sized gold capsule and opened it. Her child-sized, blue-skinned homunculus servant Sora materialized, his hands pressed together in contemplation.

"Mommy summoned me?" he asked, drawing funny looks from the Kor.

"Yeah." Mizuki knelt by her follower. "Now listen. There are scary traps in here, okay? Can you sense them and show us all how to avoid them?"

Sora nodded once. "Of course." He trotted forward, his small blue hands extended. Wisps of blue, white, and black mana leaked from his hands as he wandered into the vast room, his nostrils flared. Then, he knelt and sent a pulse of his mana into the floor.

Morrel nearly jumped out of his skin when a statue of a snake's heads slid out of an alcove, bellowing a stream of scorching fire across the chamber. The blaze filled the space between Sora and the adventurer party, and by the time the fires died down the snake head sank back into the wall, leaving no trace that it was ever there.

"It won't trigger again," Sora announced, motioning for everyone to follow. "Come! It's safe now."

"Pretty useful guy, isn't he," Morrel commented as he and the others advanced into the vast chamber.

"He's so wonderful," Mizuki beamed. "Sora can –" Her face fell. "Do you feel that?"

Everyone else paused; a faint but distinct rumbling sound hummed in the air, growing louder by the second. The room started to shake as a section of the roof slid away, and then the air grew hot as a huge sphere of compacted lava and molten rock rolled into the chamber, at least fifteen feet across.

_If only Sora caught that one too! _Morrel thought dryly as he leaped back with everyone else. The lava ball rolled down the wall and across the chamber floor, rapidly melting the stone as it went. Another, even bigger lava sphere came crashing down through the roof, slamming into the floor and rattling the walls to their foundation. Cascades of stone bricks rained as the walls started to crumble from the strain, and the floor buckled and started to collapse from the strain.

"Mizuki!" Morrel seized his friend's hand just before she fell through the fissure in the floor, hoisting her back up. The Kor scrambled to safety, at once dodging the rampaging lava spheres and trying to find secure ground. The goblin, meanwhile, squealed in terror until a large brick from the ceiling crushed him flat.

"This way!" Mizuki tugged at Morrel's hand, leading him to the opposite end of the chamber where another hallway beckoned. Morrel fought to keep running and maintain his footing, but the larger lava ball smashed into a wall, causing more sections of the floor to give way. Mizuki's hand slipped out of his as Morrel started to fall, his stomach writhing in vertigo. Mizuki's right arm manifested to full size, reaching out to take Morrel's hand again. She was too slow; already, Morrel had fallen one floor and sprawled onto the rocky floor below, rubble piling around him.

_Oh, my head... _Morrel griped, scrambling to his feet and ignoring his various aches. He fixed his glasses back into position, then realized that Sherbal and one other Kor had fallen with him, trying to dodge the falling debris.

"Down the hall! I'll cover us!" Morrel told them, hurrying down the hall. Without hesitation, Sherbal and the other Kor tagged along, watching the ceiling for any more debris. Luckily, Morrel and the others reached a new, quiet chamber where the ceiling was quite secure and glowing crystals provided light.

"Let us rest a moment," Sherbal ordered, settling against a wall and huffing in exhaustion. "We need to find a way to get back with the others. I didn't expect a lava ball trap here, but what's done is done."

Morrel breathed deep to slow down his heart but didn't feel like settling down just yet. "This place is huge. It could take a long time to find the others, especially since we can't coordinate movements with them."

Sherbal admitted a small smile. "That would be true, Morrel, except that we are all heading to the resurrection chamber, and all my fellows have a rough understanding of temples like this one. We just have to reach the right chamber and wait for them to catch up. Or the other way around."

Morrel nodded, then marched down the chamber toward another crystal-lit hall. "Mizuki and the others need us, and we need them. We shouldn't fall behind."

"You are impatient, boy, but I suppose you have a chance," Sherbal conceded, getting back up. He and the other Kor followed close behind Morrel's quick trot until Sherbal took the lead, guiding the three-man party through the temple complex.

Up one flight of stairs, past several chambers, through a secret passageway, then down a different set of stairs Sherbal went, Morrel staying within a few feet of him the entire time. The other Kor remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on Sherbal's back. Once or twice he caught Morrel's eye and nodded to reassure the battlemage.

"We're close," Sherbal announced at last, coming to a halt in a large square chamber. Four wide, rather tall entrances occupied the walls, and a hole in the ceiling allowed a ray of sunlight to illuminate the chamber. More unreadable runes were etched on the floor and the edges of the hallway entrances.

"Which way?" Morrel asked, unwilling to take a single step without Sherbal's guidance.

Sherbal squinted at the entrances, muttering something to himself. "If we went up a level, then took a left and entered this room from the south-east, then..." he pointed. "Up ahead. Carefully, now."

Sherbal slowly crept into the chamber, watching where each foot landed on the floor. Morrel followed him closely, nerves tingling and stomach tightening in anxiety. _Easy, now... don't make any rash movements... let the angels give you the grace to overcome fear._

Then, a deep, rumbling growl caught everyone's attention.

The glowing yellow eyes perked up in the hallway up ahead, at least ten feet off the ground. Heavy footfalls echoed in the chamber as a hulking, shadowed form approached with more guttural snarls. A heavy odor of animal hide and breath wafted into the room, and Sherbal tensed. "Baloth!" he hissed.

"A what?" Morrel gawked, then realized that baloths were enormous four-legged beasts like this one. At least fifteen feet high at the shoulder, the baloth had the body shape of a rhino or elephant, but its lean, well-muscled body and sharp claws suggest much more grace and precision than lumbering elephants had. Bristly black fur lined the green-skinned baloth's spine, and its toothy mouth opened wide to reveal hundreds of teeth and a long, barbed tongue.

"Move!" Sherbal shouted as the baloth broke into a full run, its feet thundering across the large chamber's stone floor. Morrel dove out of the way just in time; the baloth's front left paw slashed the spot where Morrel had stood, its claws raking deep gouges in the floor. Roaring its bloodlust, the baloth whirled to face Morrel, swinging its other paw downwards. Once again Morrel dodged the blow. The beast's arm was thicker than his entire torso. _How do I subdue such a thing? _Morrel wondered frantically._ My ring of oblivion probably can't handle it, and even my fire spell might not cut it. But I have to try something! I'm a fighter._

Both Sherbal and the other Kor backed into shadowy corners, giving themselves time to draw their weapons. Morrel, meanwhile, backed up to another wall with his fists raised, the baloth lumbering after him. "Distract it!" Morrel shouted.

Without hesitation, both Sherbal and the other Kor leaped into the fray, the former's double-hook weapon slashing quickly through the air and the latter's machete slashing furiously. The baloth rumbled as the blades hacked into its rear left leg, diverting its attention for a moment. Taking his chance, Morrel knelt and planted his hands on the floor, flooding it with green, blue, and white mana. Huge golden crystals erupted from the stonework, rising up and encasing the baloth's left front leg. The baloth grunted and tugged at its leg, confused.

"Let's go!" Morrel called out, breaking into a run toward the hallway Sherbal had indicated as the right way to go. The two Kor hurried after him, infuriating the baloth. Roaring again, the beast strained and broke its leg free of the crystals, then slammed both front paws on the floor. A shock wave of kinetic force threw Morrel and the Kor to the floor, giving the baloth time to charge at them. The baloth rammed its head at the Kor, attempting to snap them up in its jaws. The deft Kor evaded the blow, raking the baloth's jowls with their weaponry, drawing shallow wounds.

Rumbling in irritation, the baloth swung its head to the side, catching the machete-wielding Kor on the stomach. The Kor man slammed into the wall, knocked out. He slumped to the ground in a heap.

"Not today, monster!" Sherbal cursed, flinging one of his hooks. The weapon cut into one of the baloth's legs, then snapped back to Sherbal when the Kor tugged on the hook's chain.

"How does this thing survive in here?" Morrel wondered in frustration, backing away from the huge baloth. He did not like the ravenous look in its fierce yellow eyes.

"By eating adventurers like us!" Sherbal grunted back. "Lots of people explore ruins like these looking for treasure, and smart beasts exploit that fact like our green friend here."

The baloth rumbled and charged again, swiping its paws at Morrel. The Bant battlemage rolled to avoid one set of claws, then leaped back to evade the other paw. The baloth grunted and rammed its head down, trying once again to eat its adversaries. Morrel backed away from the blow, but he didn't notice the baloth's left paw coming toward him. With a bone-shuddering collision, the baloth's paw smashed into Morrel and sent him sprawling on the floor, his vision flickering from the blows. _Damn it! This baloth is too tough. I can only dodge it. A normal person I can handle in a fist-fight, but beasts aren't my thing. Mizuki would be better off fighting it, because she can –_

"Raaaah!" shouted a familiar voice, and Morrel scrambled to his feet at the sound. A familiar dark-haired girl had entered the fray with three Kor in tow, and Mizuki sent two dozen black mana tendrils through the air. The deadly tentacles impaled the baloth's head and neck, punching into its thick hide. Bleeding and growling in pain, the baloth ambled backwards, its small ears flattened and its teeth bared. Mizuki pointed her cursed right arm's index finger, and a beam of focused black mana stabbed into the baloth's right shoulder. Howling in protest, the baloth squirmed and retreated backwards through one of the hallways, leaving a ringing silence.

"Are you okay?" Mizuki asked quickly, hurrying over to Morrel as her right arm shrank back to normal.

Morrel rubbed his head. "Don't worry. I took a hard fall but nothing major. Thanks for the help. I don't really have the offensive power to deal with large foes like that."

Mizuki lightly punched Morrel's right shoulder with a smile. "That's why you've got me."

As soon as the knocked-out Kor recovered, Sherbal earnestly led the reunited party through the appropriate hallway. On the way, one of the Kor explained that the sounds of the baloth drew Mizuki's group to Morrel's.

After navigating one last set of hallways, Sherbal led everyone into a relatively small but warm chamber, where one altar lay in the center on top of a short but wide circular platform. Strange, glowing fungi clung to the walls and mists of blue and green mana constantly wafted from the altar's platform without any visible source. A strange, faint humming sound rang in Morrel's head as soon as he entered the room.

"Over here," Sherbal said tensely, pointing at the altar. Wasting no time, the Kor bearing Zoira gently laid the elf's body on the altar and backed away.

"So... what next?" Morrel asked hesitantly.

Sherbal drew a short knife from his pocket. "Now, we unite the living with the dead." He drew a small cut on his hand, squeezing a few drops of blood onto the altar's smooth, pearly white stone surface. At once, the blue and green mists enveloped Zoira's body and glowed brightly, searing Morrel's eyes. He covered his eyes and turned away, as did everyone else. Strange howling sounds echoed as strange winds ripped through the chamber's stale air, all the air rushing toward the elf body on the altar. Then, with one sudden jolt of mana, the air rushed back into place and the glow died down. The blue and green mists settled back into place, and Sherbal beckoned. "It is done! Let us greet our friend."

Heart hammering in astonishment, Morrel slowly approached Zoira, unsure what to think. "Zoira. Can you hear me?"

The elf's eyelids twitched, then her eyes slowly opened and she sat up. "Hi, guys," she greeted everyone. She jolted. "Nihil! Where is he? Stay on your guard!" She bolted to her feet, then her knees gave out and she fell to her hands and knees.

"Easy, Zoira. The battle at the cliff is over," Mizuki assured the elf, kneeling by her side. "We're in some temple Sherbal guided us through."

Tremors shivered Zoira's body. "I-I... I see." She swallowed, her face pale. "Did you defeat him? Nihil?"

Mizuki's face darkened. "Not really. That Roil storm got close and blew Nihil away, and we had time to drag your body into the forest. We spent the night there, then flew here this morning."

Zoira let out a shaky laugh, looking up at Sherbal. "Should have known you'd find a quick solution," she commented. "A resurrection temple? Fancy. But now I've used up my one use."

Morrel blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Zendikar has powerful, bizarre mana but even that has its limits," Zoira explained slowly, settling onto the floor. "The spirits don't like giving up the souls of the dead that easily. A temple like this one can bring the dead back... but only once. Only once like this, that is. A necromancer or lich is a different case entirely and can bring back a person multiple times as a soulless zombie. But I am me, soul and body together." She smiled again. "Thanks for not giving up on me, guys."

Morrel extended a hand to help Zoira up. "I would never abandon a friend."

"Me neither," Mizuki added.

Accepting Morrel's hand, Zoira let a gleam spark in her eyes. "Thank you both. Now, let's get a move on! I really don't like stuffy temples like this."

*o*o*o*o*

Across the sunlit grasslands of Bant slithered a being with a long, thin body propelled by an aura of blue mana and multiple squirming legs. The monster wound its way through the grass of the Akrasan castle's front grounds, the native Rhoxes and human knights oblivious of its presence. The monster paid no attention to them, either: its single huge, yellow eye was fixed on one particular hill, where it could smell two shards of the Sphere of Ages. Snaking its way past a Rhox's wide feet, the creature slithered up the hill and settled even lower into the grass, making certain that no one could see it.

Two silver, scythe-like appendages sprouted from the creature's body and began to dig in the soil, rapidly and efficiently. Clumps of dirt and grass roots flew past as the probe monster burrowed further into the hill, stopping only when its scythe-arms reached an Etherium shell. Chattering in excitement, the creature snaked a thin arm into a crack in the Etherium shell's armor, flooding it with foul blue mana. The Etherium shell glowed brightly for a second, then shattered to pieces.

The two shards of the Sphere of Ages glittered with a thousand colors inside the ruined Etherium shell, immense power humming inside them. The probe creature gathered up both shards, and once it had the shards secured to its body with sticky mucus, the probe quickly slithered back down the hill and toward a nearby forest where its master patiently waited.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Forest (Vincent Proce), Kitesail Apprentice, Goblin Bushwacker, Blazing Torch, Arrow Volley Trap, Courier's Capsule, Homunculus (creature token), Lavaball Trap, Summoning Trap, Grappling Hook, Trusty Machete, Crystallization, Tendrils of Corruption, Plains (Michael Komarck), Gitaxian Probe**


	37. Chapter 37

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**A/N:** this chapter contains strong sexual content. (Morrel and Mizuki are both 18 years old)

**Chapter 37**

A writhing, ethereal gate of mingled black and white mana announced Nihil's arrival, and the brawny Planeswalker confidently stepped onto a grass-less field of dirt and rocks near a cliff that overlooked a ruined city. The Dominaria sun sank low on the horizon, its ruddy red and orange light making the whole sky seem on fire. Nihil ignored the evening beauty, however, and instead approached a waiting red-haired man.

Azrael perked up as Nihil approached. "Have you succeeded?" he asked tensely.

"I did." From his pockets Nihil produced two shards of the Sphere of Ages, the quartz fragments glittering with a thousand colors on the inside. A smug grin tugged at his lips. "My spies on the world of Bant retrieved this for me. I believe that my work here is nearly done?"

Azrael could barely hide his mingled relief, excitement, and grim determination as he accepted the two fragments from Nihil's hands. "Nearly, yes. Excellent work, Nihil. I was not mistaken to employ your services." With that, he produced his own two fragments of the Sphere and gently set the four shards on the ground. Muttering a complex incantation under his breath, Azrael slid the four shards together like pieces of the puzzle, the jagged edges locking together perfectly. At once, the four pieces melded together as though never shattered, forming a perfect orb eight inches in diameter. Pulsing weak waves of multi-colored mana, the Sphere jerked and lifted itself into the air, hovering at eye level in a cushion of advanced magic. There it hung, the pulse of mana incrementally growing in power and frequency.

"It's a sight to behold," Nihil commented, folding his meaty arms and cocking his head a little to the side. "Your Sphere of Ages... it's all done, huh?"

"Almost," Azrael said, taking a step back from his creation. _At last, justice will be done! _"My sister and I needed all the knowledge of our island nation's scholars to construct this after my nation was massacred by otherworldly invaders. The Sphere is complete once more, but it'll need a while to fully recharge for use. I need you to help me guard it during that time."

Nihil grunted. "How long will that be?"

"Several hours," Azrael admitted. "By sunrise, the Sphere should be ready to work, and I will richly reward you for what you have done for me."

"Out of simple curiosity," Nihil added, "what exactly will this Sphere do when it's juiced up?"

Azrael narrowed his eyes slightly at the informal language as he explained. "This artifact houses incredible amounts of life magic, containing the cycle of life and death within. When the magic is released, the souls of all my friends, family, and fellows will be returned and their bodies restored. We were a peaceful folk of reason and unity. We deserve another chance to live! I will be the one to make this possible."

With an understanding nod, Nihil pressed on, "How come it was in pieces to begin with?"

Azrael turned away from Nihil, clenching his fists. "The... Sphere backfired when used the first time. My sister Geyosha and I used it before its magic was fully ready, and it released a cataclysmic shock wave that took her life and split the Sphere into four shards, scattering them across the Planes. This time, however, I will not allow such a mistake to happen." Blue and black mana glowed on his palms. "I will use my mana to calibrate the magic within the Sphere as it recharges. This will be delicate work; please do not disturb me until it is finished."

"Of course. Go ahead," Nihil motioned with one hand as Azrael placed his hands on the Sphere. With his back turned to Nihil, Azrael failed to see the wide, sinister smile spreading across Nihil's face.

*o*o*o*o*

"Yup, another explorer camp," Zoira smiled as she led Morrel and Mizuki through the small forest regions of Akoum to a new camp. Here, the trees grew at the base of a dormant volcano, the fertile soil allowing for a rich diversity of life forms here. A collection of tents and wooden huts sat clustered in a small clearing, and a bubbling hot spring lay nearby in a rocky patch of earth beyond a cluster of trees and foliage.

As Morrel settled wearily onto a wooden bench in the camp, he took a quick look around: only he, Mizuki, and Zoira were here, giving them total privacy. Sherbal and the other Kor had already departed, Zoira dismissing them soon after exiting the valley temple on kitesails. Night was falling: Zoira kindled a large campfire, the only source of light against the increasing dark. Unseen insects and amphibians broke out into their nighttime songs, soothing natural sounds that put Morrel's mind at ease.

"Anyway," Zoira announced as she backed away from the fire, "We'll camp here for the night and leave Zendikar in the morning when I'm strong enough to Planeswalk again. The Sphere fragment here is gone."

"And you're completely sure?" Mizuki asked, not for the first time since Zoira came back to life. She folded her arms.

"Yes, very sure," Zoira answered, her eyebrows meeting in a frown. "I cannot sense it any longer, and it's easy to assume that that Nihil guy found it and left. We'll meet up with Veldor on Bant and devise a new plan from there. We're not out of the game yet, kids." She flashed a reassuring smile that Morrel returned.

"Count me in," the Bant battlemage declared. "I'm ready for whatever world you and Mizuki bring me to next."

Zoira yawned and wandered away from the fire. "Excellent. Well, I'm going to bathe in that hot spring nearby. Don't let any surrakar sneak into the camp. Nasty creatures."

"Any what?" Morrel asked, but Zoira was already gone, wandering toward the nearby hot spring. His mind whirling with questions, Morrel sighed with fatigue and gave the camp one more look, missing his private quarters from the Akrasa castle. _Then again, any place that doesn't have Eldrazi or the Roil is fine with me! This world is something else._

"Hey," Mizuki said simply, walking over and settling next to Morrel on the bench. "You have a funny look on your face. Worried about something?"

"I'm just hoping that an Eldrazi doesn't decide to have use for a late-night snack," Morrel joked, and Mizuki laughed lightly.

"Try to relax," Mizuki told him, patting a hand on Morrel's knee. "We've had a rough journey and there isn't much we can do right now. This is a setback, but not total defeat. We're going to kick Azrael's ass either way!"

Morrel smiled slightly. "Darned right. Our quest is nearing its end, I'll bet. Azrael and Nihil will have to go after the two Sphere shards we have, and at that point we can defeat them once and for all. I hope I'm ready for this."

"Oh, come on," Mizuki prodded him. "Don't you have confidence issues on me!"

"It's not that," Morrel laughed. "I just don't want to come all this way just to lose. Then again, we've learned a lot and grown quite a bit on this trek together, Mizuki. I'm hardly the same battlemage you met back on Bant when that Jund monster attacked a town."

Mizuki glanced up at the starry sky in reflection. "Oh yeah, I remember that. A fun fight, even though we hardly knew what we were doing!"

"And after that, you threatened to hurt me if I gave you away, since you were a rogue and all," Morrel added. "Remember?"

Mizuki shrugged her shoulders. "Mmmmm... yeah. But once I took you to Kamigawa, I started to really see what you were made of. I recall you fighting one-on-one against Azrael in the Jukai Forest. I was in awe of your determination and prowess even when faced against someone as strong as Azrael. That really inspired me to fight harder." She lowered her gaze back to Morrel, fondness in her eyes.

"Really? All I remember is getting my rear handed to me by Azrael in that forest," Morrel laughed, then sobered a little. "But... yeah. I guess we really needed each other during our first adventures. Our relationship was a little hard to figure out at the time."

"What about now?" Mizuki asked eagerly, leaning forward intently.

"I... what?"

Mizuki continued, "Am I your friend?"

"Oh. Definitely, Mizuki. You're one of the finest friends I've had."

An embarrassed smile started to spread across Mizuki's lips. "We've been friends for a while. What about _now?"_

"I'm sorry?" Morrel feigned ignorance, but he felt his face warming.

"This could be our last chance to have a real talk face-to-face," Mizuki told him, clasping her hands on his right hand. "And..." she blushed. "Well, I really like you, Morrel. A lot. You're the nicest guy I've ever met, and I don't want to go on without you. You've really been there for me, but..." She lowered her voice to a seductive whisper. "Why don't we spend one last romantic night together? I want to have you, I really do!"

Morrel really felt himself blush at this point. His clothes seemed itchy and he laughed nervously. "W-well, I dunno... you _do _make great company, after all..."

Mizuki stifled a giggle, holding Morrel's hand tight. "Listen. Morrel, back at the camp before Nihil attacked, I was going to tell you something, and now's a good chance. I-I..." she swallowed, then her eyes firmed with resolve. "Morrel, I love you. For a while now, in fact. I didn't think I'd like you that much at first, but..." she cracked another self-conscious smile. "Heck with it, I can't stop thinking about you! When you're by my side, when you fight for my sake and look out for me, I feel... special, like I really mean a lot to you, just the way you mean so much to me. We have that strong bond between us. After all we've endured together, we've been drawn together."

"They say that those who endure hardships together forge the strongest friendships," Morrel added, reflecting another bit of Rhox wisdom. "I know I've talked about this before, but... yes, our quest made us allies like I never thought possible."

"And pretty soon, that'll all be over," Mizuki told him gently. "I'll find the cure for my curse and your honorable quest will be satisfied. I don't really know if we'll be together much after that. We might not see each other for a long time, if ever."

"True..." Morrel said slowly, trying to stall. "Where are you going with this?"

"What I'm saying," Mizuki said, releasing Morrel's hand, "Is that I want us to have one last evening together while we have the time, like I said before." She ran her hands over Morrel's shoulders. "I love you, Morrel, and I want to be with you for one last time. Do you want me? Tell me you want me..."

His heart hammering in his chest, Morrel realized that he had only seconds to respond. _She... she really wants me. And you know what, I want her too! But... _He backed away slightly. "Mizuki, I..." He swallowed. "I'm not so sure."

Mizuki cocked her head. "Hmmm?"

"Look," Morrel said, standing up. "You said it yourself: we're working together on this quest, but we're different people from different worlds, and we both have our own desires and commitments. If we... if we pushed our relationship to the level you're suggesting, it'll only be that much more agonizing to part ways."

Mizuki looked taken aback. "I know, but..."

Morrel lowered his voice gently. "Mizuki, I like you too. You're a kind and smart girl, and I only want to see you happy. But what could come of this? Why start something special that would have to end so soon? We both have to move on. I've got Bant, and you've got the whole Multiverse. I..." He swallowed. "I don't want to be separated from you either, but it has to be done. I'm... sorry. We shouldn't complicate things. It's unfair to both of us."

"I see." Mizuki got to her feet too, her voice hard. She didn't meet Morrel's eyes. "I'm disappointed you think that way, but if you really insist, then fine. Our friendship is ending soon anyway. Forget the whole thing." She turned and walked away. "I'm going to go bathe in those springs. I hope Zoira brought some nice soap. I haven't bathed in several days, and neither have you."

"Yeah..." Morrel admitted, realizing that he didn't really smell all that great after trekking in the wilderness of Zendikar. "If the spring is big enough, I'll find a corner to bathe without invading your privacy."

Without turning around, Mizuki retorted, "Fine! Whatever! Just don't talk to me anymore." She vanished into the trees and out of sight.

Morrel watched where Mizuki had gone, his stomach feeling heavy. _I want to be with her too, but she has to understand that I'm right about this! I can't get swept away in the heat of the moment... _But he still felt a pang of guilt. _She's such a great girl, though. Does it have to be this way? I need to think this over._

*o*o*o*o*

Mizuki was right: Zoira had brought a few pieces of soap and washing cloths with her in her survival pack, and she had left them in her tent for Morrel and Mizuki to use. Bathing by starlight, Morrel sank waist-deep into the hot spring's water, scrubbing away dirt, blood, and animal slime from his skin. The hot spring wrapped itself around a stone outcropping, and Mizuki bathed in privacy on the other side. As Morrel washed himself, he sighed in content as the warm, gentle water and sweet-smelling soap tickled his senses. _Wow, this feels great! Zendikar has its moments of bliss after all._

Once clean, Morrel slipped back into his boots and trousers, putting on his long-sleeved shirt and buttoning it back up. He carried his leather vest and white battlemage cloak under his arm and his glasses in his pocket as he walked back into the camp. Zoira had already crawled into her own tent, her snores evidence of her slumber. Morrel started to wander over to his tent, but then Mizuki stepped into his way, her arms folded.

"I'm tired, Mizuki," he told her. "And aren't we not talking or something?" Still, his tone was gentle and patient; seeing Mizuki, he couldn't help but feel at ease. _I can't stay mad at her. __She's too nice._

Mizuki swallowed, her eyes softening. "Look, Morrel, I... I'm sorry, I over-reacted. When I confessed to you, I got all caught up in the moment, expecting some fairy-tale outcome. You kind of had a point, reminding me that we need to part ways soon. I needed that reminder."

Instead of agreeing with that, Morrel relaxed his shoulders, offering a grin. "I take that back."

Mizuki's eyes widened slightly. "Wh-what?"

Morrel took a hold of Mizuki's shoulders, squeezing gently. "To be honest, I was, and still am, feel a little conflicted about that: do we enjoy each other's company one more time, or get ready for our parting of ways? I have been taught to think everything through beforehand, but this time, I didn't know what path to take."

Looking up into Morrel's eyes, Mizuki made a hopeful expression. "Have you decided? That hot spring bath cleared up my mind pretty well. Did it do the same to you?"

Morrel chuckled. "It's a combination of the bath and spending some time alone to think. So, Mizuki..." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Mizuki's savoring the gentle, sweet taste of her lips. Mizuki's breath caught in shock, but then she relaxed, wrapping her arms around Morrel's waist in a warm embrace. Morrel broke apart from her a few seconds later, his heart hammering. "So, that's my answer," he finished.

"Wow. That was kind of... hot," Mizuki blurted with a nervous laugh.

"Yes. About that," Morrel said firmly, "Mizuki, you deserve total honesty from me, and I've wanted to tell you that I love you too." He let go of her shoulders and held her in a tight hug, enjoying the clean scent of her soft, black hair. He closed his eyes. "Every time I see you, I'm reminded that beauty and grace do exist in the world, and I'd give anything to see your smile or hear your voice."

"Oh, stop it," Mizuki joked.

"I do mean it, though," Morrel grinned again, feeling the warmth of Mizuki's body. "You're my sweet angel, Mizuki, and I would give anything to spend a little more time with you, whether all night or just a few minutes."

Mizuki giggled. "Changed your mind about that, then?"

"Hell, I don't know what's right or not," Morrel admitted, breaking apart from Mizuki. "On one hand, why start something we can't finish? But on the other hand... why waste our last chance to be happy together? I'd be an old man someday who would look back and wonder what it would have been like to have one night of intimacy with you." He smiled. "What do you say? Is it worth it?"

Mizuki hesitated for a second, then, breathing hard from excitement, she tugged on Morrel's hand and led him into her tent. "Way worth it," she breathed, her excited fingers fumbling slightly over the buttons of Morrel's shirt. "And I'm about to show you!"

His nerves tingling with excitement, Morrel let Mizuki remove his unbuttoned shirt, then he ran his hands over Mizuki's waist and over her curvy hips, feeling himself aroused by her sweet scent and soft curves. He undid the buttons on Mizuki's white shirt and slipped it over her head, tossing it to the tent floor. Mizuki pressed herself against Morrel, locking him in a passionate kiss as she reached for his belt, undoing the buckle and dropping the belt to the floor. Morrel slowly lowered Mizuki onto her bedroll and onto her back, running his hands through her hair as his heart hammered in his chest. _She's right. This _is _worth it!_

Mizuki wrapped her legs around Morrel's waist, her eyes gleaming. "Hold on," she panted. "Do you think we're going too fast?"

Morrel shook his head. "No, this is fine. Very, very fine." Both he and Mizuki quickly removed the last of their clothing, feeling the increasingly humid warmth of the tent. Neither of them minded as they spent the night only in each other's company.

*o*o*o*o*

"Morrel! Mizuki!" called a familiar voice the next morning. Zoira's disembodied voice floated through the small camp. "Get up, guys. I mean it. Azrael and Nihil might be making their move right now. I'm well enough to Planeswalk. Let's move!"

Zoira's footsteps sounded louder and louder as she approached Mizuki's tent, and bright sunlight flooded in as Zoira flipped aside the tent flap. "Come on, Mizuki. Get -" the elf started, but stopped when she saw both Mizuki and Morrel lying together in Mizuki's wide bedroll. "I, um... oh," Zoira smiled awkwardly.

Morrel sat up, realizing that he was still shirtless. He kept the bedroll up to his belly button. "Um... good morning to you too. I'm glad you're back to full strength."

"Morning," Mizuki added, sitting upright and pressing her part of the bedroll held up over her chest. She blinked in the light. "Wow, that's bright... morning already?"

"Yes, the sun has risen," Zoira said with mirth in her voice. "And sheesh, I could tell that you both got along well, but..." She chuckled, withdrawing from the tent, closing the flap. "I'll give you ten minutes to get ready, okay?"

Both Morrel and Mizuki looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Hardly seems real," Mizuki admitted with humor. She sighed with content. "Did last night really happen?"

"Oh, it did," Morrel grinned, running a hand across Mizuki's shoulder. "It did."

Mizuki flopped onto her back. "I knew it would be worth it."

"Remind me to never doubt you about anything anymore."

"Yeah." Mizuki gave Morrel a quick kiss, then got up, slipping on her underclothing. "Morrel... thank you. I feel..." she giggled again. "Oh, I don't even know. You make me feel like an angel, as you said last night, and I feel beautiful. Or something. I can't even describe it."

"Maybe we can sort it out later," Morrel joked, "when the hormones are done talking."

"Sure." Mizuki slipped on her soft trousers, rolling them up to the knee. She put on her shirt last, tossing her dark hair while she nudged Morrel's clothing toward him. "Dress up, soldier. We've got some butt-kicking to do!"

Morrel scooped up his clothes. "I'm a battlemage, not a soldier!"

"You know what I mean."

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel's warm, giddy feeling quickly turned to cold dread when he, Mizuki, and Zoira returned once more to Bant, the sun shining directly overhead. Veldor greeted them on the open plain, his face more agitated than Morrel had ever seen it.

"They're gone! Both gone, taken away, missing," Veldor sputtered. "Sphere shards unaccounted for, Zoira."

"Yes, I get it," Zoira said impatiently. "How can this be?"

Veldor scratched at a spot on his temple, his face twisted with worry. "Some unknown being or artificial creation found my underground vault and broke into it, obtaining both Sphere shards. You cannot sense them, now can you?"

Zoira hardened her face, concentrating. She relaxed. "No, I can't feel the familiar tingle. They're really gone... damn it! Azrael and Nihil must have gotten them! So soon, too..."

"Wait, wait," Mizuki cut in, waving a hand. "Does this mean Azrael has _all four _shards of his Sphere of Ages?"

"Exactly right," Veldor told her. "Grim situation indeed. Although my spies have located Azrael and Nih -"

"Where!" Zoira interrupted, seizing Veldor's armored shoulders.

"On Dominaria!" Veldor sputtered. "On Azrael's ruined island home. We have to hurry. The Sphere was in the process of charging up its power the last my minions saw it, so we don't have much time. Must get there now."

Morrel took a step back, hardly believing his ears. The cocky confidence he had felt earlier this morning seemed foolish now. "Lead the way, Veldor."

"Oh, I will," the Esper agent nodded sternly. "Azrael will cause massive cataclysm if he uses that Sphere's power again. Believes he is going to resurrect his people. Not so. Must stop him at all costs. _All _costs."

"That's what I signed up for," Mizuki rubbed her hands together. "Ready?"

"Yes," Veldor told her. After Mizuki took a hold of Morrel's hand, the four of them vanished into the Blind Eternities.

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Graypelt Refuge, Plains (Michael Komarck)**

**A/N:** I have created a poll on my account for who your favorite _Two of a Kind _character is. Feel free to visit my account and vote! I appreciate all forms of feedback.


	38. Chapter 38

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 38**

A gray, thick cloud cover was the first thing Morrel saw when he appeared on a new world, but he was quickly distracted by the fact that he and Mizuki had entered this Plane in mid-air. Both of them cried out and landed in a tangled heap on cool green grass, with an amused Zoira striding toward them from her red gate of Planeswalking. "You guys okay?" she asked.

Before either Morrel or Mizuki could answer, a whirling vortex of blue, white, and black mana warped into existence and Veldor stepped out from it. He looked down at Morrel and Mizuki. "Aware that you both are romantically involved," he commented. "But now is not the time for snuggling. We are here to confront Azrael and Nihil."

"I know that, you big idiot!" Mizuki snapped, awkwardly breaking free of Morrel and leaping to her bare feet, nimble as ever. She pouted. "You came at the worse possible time."

Morrel didn't say anything, but instead got to his feet and took a quick look around. He and the others stood on the edge of a grassy cliff, and Morrel's eyes widened at the astounding sight before him. Hundreds of brick and stone buildings in varying sizes and styles lay shattered on the terrain below the cliff, rubble scattered everywhere in the streets and ruined lots. Judging by the growing trees, vines and other pant life growing in patches within the city, these ruins had not been inhabited for at least a year. A writhing blue-gray sea crashed its waves on a faraway shore.

Mizuki wandered over by Morrel's side, her widened eyes absorbing the scene. "You know, I remember what that ghost lady Geyosha told us back on Kamigawa," she breathed. "She and Azrael lived on a prosperous island nation that fell under attack from an army of monsters. I guess... this is the place."

"Got to be," Morrel agreed. "So, Azrael's come back home to finish his project at last."

"Naturally. He must use his Sphere on-site to resurrect his nation's people. Or so he thinks," Veldor added quickly. "Of course, the Sphere's activation will result only in another cataclysm that will wreak havoc on this Plane and other, nearby Planes."

"As soon as we find him," Zoira told everyone, wandering off and motioning for the others to follow. "We can't waste time, you know." The words barely left her mouth when a warm, thick pulse of mana rushed across the cliff like a wall of wind, buffeting the four wanderers where they stood. Morrel winced and shielded his eyes, squinting down the cliff's grassy expanse. In the near distance he saw a tiny prick of light that gave off regular flares of light.

Zoira tensed. "The Sphere must be warming up. We've got to move!" She raised her arms and conjured a ring of see-through red mana, opening a portal that admitted a cawing, graceful phoenix. The fiery bird settled onto the ground, lowering its tail as a ramp for Zoira and the others to climb. Morrel settled on the phoenix's back with the others and hung on tight as the bird kicked off, flapping its flaming wings as it soared toward the light source.

Cawing again, the phoenix glided downward on a melon-sized orb that hovered in mid-air. Two familiar men stood nearby, watching the phoenix approach. At Zoira's command, the phoenix settled down once again, letting Veldor, Morrel, and Mizuki disembark and confront the two waiting men.

"Persistent as ever," Nihil commented as the newcomers approached. "If only I had had the chance to finish you weaklings off on Zendikar!"

"This is a grave mistake," Azrael warned. "You have no more reason to oppose me! My Sphere is reconstructed and its power will not be harnessed by thieves."

Mizuki expanded her right arm to full size and flexed her claws, but Morrel stepped forward, his expression determined. "Listen," he told Azrael. "This is not what it seems! We have spoken to the spirit of Geyosha, your sister. She warned us -"

Azrael's face hardened. "Don't talk to me about her! You weren't there when she was obliterated! You weren't there to see my nation slaughtered by monsters and my culture's knowledge stolen by the invaders!"

"Geyosha knows what you're doing!" Morrel rebuked him. "And she wants you to stop, Azrael. You're letting your past control you. What's more, the Sphere _does not really work_. She told me that herself. Only another cataclysm will result if you activate that Sphere again. You want to think that you're going to resurrect all those people, but that's a lie. You have to let go."

"Come on, Morrel," Mizuki muttered. "It's one thing for you to be diplomatic and patient, but this isn't the right time or place for that."

Azrael hesitated, his eyes focusing somewhere distant and his shoulders tensed. "She always had a lingering doubt..." He swallowed. "Geyosha wasn't entirely certain our project could work, but I convinced her to help me for the sake of our nation. We did everything right! We used the leftover wisdom of our people to create that Sphere. It was, and still is, salvation!"

"That is not true," Morrel pressed him. "I know what the power of hope can do. But this time, you have to move on. You'll only make things worse if you activate that Sphere's power!"

Nihil laughed. "Don't listen to that kid, Azrael. You've got every right to use your Sphere device and you hired me to make sure no one gets in your way." He clenched his meaty fists. "Why don't we teach them a lesson?"

Fixing his hardened eyes on Morrel and Mizuki, Azrael thundered, "Flee while I'm still feeling merciful! You have no right to oppose me. I don't want to see any more death... but if I have to destroy you to complete my mission, then I will."

Veldor cleared his throat. "Negotiations failed," he analyzed. "Prepare for aggression."

"I suppose so," Morrel agreed, tightening his fists. "Mizuki, which one do you want to take on?"

Mizuki fiddled with a strand of her soft dark hair, weighing her options. "Azrael," she growled. "That bastard's servants are responsible for all this. Because of him, I have this abomination in my arm." She lifted her giant cursed right arm a little, her eyes hard. "And don't forget the beating he gave us in Kamigawa!"

"Oh, yeah." Morrel vividly remembered Azrael's fists pummeling him in the rain-drenched Jukai Forest, and he had been left lying in the mud with broken bones while Azrael departed with the first Sphere shard.

"In that case, let Veldor and I handle Nihil," Zoira added, conjurer flames dancing on her hands. "I won't forgive him for what happened on Zendikar."

"Neither will I," Morrel nodded tightly. With that, Zoira sprang into action, vaulting over to her phoenix and hoisting herself onto its back. With a flap of its fiery wings and a loud caw, the bird took to the air, issuing a jet of flames at Nihil. The brawny man leaped to the side just in time, letting the flames scorch the grass instead. At the same time, Veldor tightened his Etherium left fist and leaped after Nihil on his Etherium-enhanced legs.

"Then I will, for the last time, teach you children to not interfere with my mission," Azrael declared, his red cape billowing as he quickly strode forward. His silver chest armor clanked.

Mizuki let out a cry as she charged, her right arm's claws outstretched. A beam of concentrated black mana lanced from her pointing finger, forcing Azrael to teleport out of the way, vanishing in a flash of rich blue mana. He re-appeared at Mizuki's exposed flank, throwing a hard punch at Mizuki's temple. Feeling a spike of adrenaline, Morrel threw out his hand and conjured a barrier of white and blue mana. Azrael's fist bounced off the ethereal surface, disrupting his inertia. Azrael backed up a step as Mizuki swung her claws at him, and then he vanished again.

Morrel hurried to cover Mizuki's rear flank, fists raised and heart hammering. Azrael re-appeared to his right, lashing out a booted foot. Morrel narrowly slipped past the blow, sending a kick at Azrael's other leg to knock him down. However, Azrael spun out of the way and combined the spin with another hard punch. Morrel's vision flickered as Azrael's knuckles exploded against his temple, nearly sending Morrel crashing to the ground.

"Raaaah!" Mizuki conjured a cluster of black mana tentacles, sending the tendrils in all different directions. Azrael swatted aside several tentacles with his bare hands, dissolving the tendrils with bursts of orange-yellow mana on his hands. The tendrils, however, were a distraction: Morrel charged at his foe with blue, white, and green mana pulsing on his hands. With a shout, Morrel seized Azrael's left arm and flooded the limb with mana. At once, thick golden crystals encased Azrael's arm, numbing it of sensation and mana.

Screwing his face in concentration, Azrael flooded himself with blue mana and flickered, but his body remained solid as his teleportation spell struggled against the mana-numbing crystals. Morrel's fists flew right at Azrael, forcing him to dodge the battlemage's blows with no chance to counter-attack. Azrael's boot struck out in a kick that Morrel dodged, and then Morrel landed a heavy blow to the stomach, sending Azrael reeling back.

Mizuki's right arm's claws descended, raking Azrael's chest and arms with loud screeches of claw on armor. Grunting in pain and shock, Azrael jerked back from the assault, blood leaking from his wounds. He panted, his eyes alight with rage and his long red hair askew.

"You... brats!" Azrael thundered, gritting his teeth as he tensed up his muscles. With a burst of blue and black mana, he shattered the crystals on his arm, then raised both arms in a grand gesture. Alarmed, Mizuki threw a few more mana tendrils at her foe, but Azrael vanished in another burst of blue light. Azrael appeared at least twenty feet in the air further away, torrents of twisted black mana gathering like a thundercloud around his arms.

With a heave, Azrael unleashed a vast flood of black mana that consisted of thousands of tormented spirits writhing in a mass. Morrel scampered to the side as the monstrous flood spilled across the ground, dissolving the ground underneath. He fought to keep away from the countless spirits in the flood, but the spirits moved with fluid grace and speed. Morrel shouted as several spirits seized him and began to corrode him, forcing him to flood his body with blue and white mana. The spirits' black mana sizzled against Morrel's protective cocoon, more and more spirits engulfing him like a hungry monster. Morrel strained against the pressure, rapidly sapping his mana reserves to keep the spirits off him. _I can't hold out much longer! _he realized, his muscles aching. _This spirit spell had better wear off soon... or I'll be melted!_

Mizuki leaped and sprang like a gazelle, forced to make the most of her acrobatic grace to avoid the thousands of spirits that tried to swallow her up. Her bare feet danced through the soft grass, running out of room as the spirits flooded the cliff. _I have no choice! _Mizuki leaped away from another swath of spirits, then pointed her finger at the hovering Azrael, unleashing another mana beam. Once again Azrael teleported away, but as soon as he did, the spirit mass began to lose cohesion, the black ghosts splitting apart and dissolving one by one.

Mizuki bit back a cry as Azrael appeared behind her, landing a kick on her back. She tumbled to the grass to break her fall, aware that Azrael still advanced on her. She sent out another mana beam that caught Azrael on his wounded chest, forcing him to stumble back. Mizuki sprang back to her feet, right arm held at the ready.

Azrael only smiled fiercely, then teleported right before Mizuki, his fist catching her on the chin. Now Mizuki was the one to stumble back, stunned. Azrael's fists hammered her gut and chest, forcing her back and making her ache. Mizuki fired a close-range mana beam, but Azrael caught the desperate spell in his hand, negating the black mana beam as it drilled against his palm. Mizuki slashed her claws at Azrael, who nimbly avoided the blunt attack and kicked Mizuki back again, throwing her onto her back.

The spirit flood was gone, but now Azrael towered over Mizuki, hardened black mana focused on his fist. "You will perish first!" he declared, drawing back the fist to strike. Mizuki raised her giant right arm to defend herself, unsure whether she'd survive the strike.

A trio of throwing knives darted through the air. Two missed Azrael, flashing by his head. The third caught him on the shoulder, forcing him to lower his fist and stumble back in pain. Morrel followed up a second later, his fists flying. Azrael pulled the knife out from his shoulder, raising his arms to defend himself. Morrel's fists hammered against Azrael's forearms and blocks, putting Azrael entirely on the defensive. Azrael blocked a jab to the head, then tried to counter with a gut punch. Morrel slipped past the blow, swinging his knuckles at Azrael's head. Azrael knocked Morrel's arm aside, countering with a quick jab that struck Morrel's sternum. Ignoring the dull pain of the blow, Morrel threw a kick to disrupt Azrael's attack pattern, then landed a solid punch to Azrael's injured shoulder. Azrael reeled back, wincing and gritting his teeth.

"Here," Morrel told Mizuki, offering his hand. Mizuki accepted it and got back to her feet, her hair sweaty and tangled, her right arm flexing.

"Both at once," Mizuki huffed as Azrael regained his composure. "So we can cover each other's openings and overwhelm Azrael's guard."

Morrel nodded quickly. "Right." He raised his fists again, steeling himself as Azrael charged to attack.

*o*o*o*o*

As Veldor charged at Nihil, he threw his Etherium fist in a powerful punch at his foe's face. Nihil smiled wickedly and blocked the fist with one open hand, his arm straining as he held back the power behind Veldor's punch. Grunting, Nihil swatted aside Veldor's arm and threw a counter-punch.

At that very moment, Zoira's phoenix swooped by and released another blast of fire that engulfed Nihil, forcing the big man to stumble back, canceling his punch. Veldor tensed his Etherium arm, allowing a sword blade to extend from his wrist. Stepping forward, Veldor slashed his blade at Nihil, drawing a shallow but definite cut across his chest.

Veldor stared as Nihil started to bleed. _Black blood? What sort of dark magic does he practice? He may have nasty surprises in mind. Must be mindful of that._

Nihil extended a hand, a jet of purple fire streaming from his palm. Veldor vaulted to the side, letting the flames scorch the grassy cliff instead. As Veldor ran around to reach Nihil's flank, Nihil released flames from his other hand, nearly catching Veldor with the flames. At the last second, Veldor vaulted high into the air on his Etherium-enhanced legs, putting himself into the opening in Nihil's guard. Veldor ejected four sharp disks of Etherium from his arm, letting the four blades spin in circles around Nihil. The stunned black-white Planeswalker raised his arms to defend himself, but the razor disks flitted around him like wasps, scoring dozens of shallow but painful wounds all over Nihil. Then, Veldor descended on Nihil, swinging his blade down as hard as he could.

Then, Nihil smiled widely and threw out his arms, thin strands of white mana filling the air. Alarmed, Veldor landed and tried to back away, but the mana cords bound his arms to his sides, then tied his ankles together. Squirming, Veldor fell clumsily to the ground, his Etherium blade slicing grass blades everywhere. The four razor disks flew through the air like boomerangs, latching themselves back into Veldor's Etherium left arm.

"Up here, bozo!" Zoira shouted as he phoenix swooped by again, its wings releasing a blast of scorching air. Nihil winced and backed up, unable to push through the strong air currents. From up high, Zoira conjured her two wingless dragons, the beasts lumbering across the grass and releasing twin blasts of fire.

"Enough fire already!" Nihil demanded, vaulting out of harm's way as the fire streams blasted against the cliff surface. He leaped at the dragons, throwing out jets of purple fire. The dragons withdrew from the fire, but one of them had lost its right arm and leg from its first fight against Nihil. The amputated dragon screeched as Nihil's fire bathed its body, instantly obliterating its bulky, scale body from existence bit by bit. The other dragon blasted Nihil with seething flames, but Nihil ignored his injuries and kept up the pressure with his purple fire. The purple flames erased the injured dragon from all sides, first its tail and remaining limbs vanishing, then its body. The dragon wailed as the purple fire crept up its neck, then vaporized its head. As the purple fire died down, nothing whatsoever remained of the dragon.

"Zoira! Quick!" Veldor cried as he squirmed against the mana cords. His Etherium plating began to corrode the mana tendrils, but Nihil was already on the move, not giving Veldor a chance to escape. Nihil ran past the surviving dragon and pounced on Veldor, his fists clenched for the finishing blow.

Zoira's phoenix descended, its clawed feet swatting Nihil aside. Nihil cried out as he flew through the air from the blow, and then the remaining dragon slapped Nihil with its tail, knocking him to the ground. Nihil tumbled heavily across the grass, his body aching from the two blows.

Veldor tensed his body, focusing his mana on his Etherium. With a loud snap, he broke the white mana cords on his body and bolted to his feet, the sword blade on his left arm held at the ready. Meanwhile, Zoira extended her arms, conjuring a dozen flaming saber-toothed tigers. Veldor stood among Zoira's thirteen ground creatures, staring down Nihil. "Let us continue, Nihil," Veldor tried to intimidate the bigger man. "We have a battle to finish."

Nihil cracked his knuckles, taking a few heavy steps forward. "That we do."

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel didn't quite expect Azrael to launch a frontal charge, and he hesitated for just a second, arms frozen in place. _What's he planning? _Then, Morrel conjured his Hindering Light, forcing Azrael to teleport away to avoid bouncing off the shield. Azrael re-appeared to Morrel's right, fists flying. Morrel slipped back behind his Hindering Light to avoid the assault, while Mizuki flung another few mana tendrils at Azrael. Using that distraction, Morrel attacked Azrael's flank, hardening his fist with green mana and throwing his knuckles at his opponent's jaw.

Azrael ducked and twisted away at the last second, letting Morrel's fist and Mizuki's tentacles lash through empty air. Azrael's foot swung out and connected with Morrel's leg, knocking him over. Morrel quickly broke his fall by somersaulting to the grass, kicking out with his own foot when he rolled to a stop. Azrael backed away from the blow, but didn't notice Mizuki's claws descending upon him. Two of Mizuki's talons sliced into Azrael's arm, and then Morrel sprang to his feet and landed a solid jab to Azrael's jaw, sending the red-haired man stumbling back.

"You both are much more powerful than when I met you both on Kamigawa," Azrael commented tightly, clamping his hand on his bleeding arm.

"We'll do anything it takes to stop your insanity," Morrel told him doggedly. "Your Sphere isn't going to bring back your people, Azrael. Geyosha told me herself: the magic in that Sphere is imperfect and dangerous. I'm only trying to prevent further harm."

"You obviously covet the secrets my Sphere contains," Azrael retorted. "My island nation nearly rivaled Tolaria Academy's level of intellect and advancement, which made it a prime target for this marauding monsters that plundered its knowledge. And now you come along, hunting down my Sphere shards! Perhaps you're in league with those who wiped out my people?"

Mizuki made a face. "Wow, you really are crazy. Morrel, let's teach him a lesson."

"You have nothing to teach me!" Azrael bared his teeth, then vanished again. Morrel quickly backed up and covered Mizuki's back before Azrael appeared again, fists raised. Azrael popped back into existence to their left, sending out a heavy kick. Morrel and Mizuki slipped away from the blow, and Morrel threw his own counter-punch while Mizuki reached out with her claws. However, Azrael smashed aside Morrel's fist with his arm and kicked away Mizuki's claws, then focused more dark spirit mana on his fists. Snapping his arms out straight, Azrael released twin blasts of flesh-corroding spirits.

Morrel deftly conjured another Hindering Light to repel the foul spirits, digging his heels into the ground and gritting his teeth against the strain as the spirits collided against his shield. Mizuki leaped out of harm's way, letting the spirits writhe in the space she had occupied. She quickly scurried away from the spirits as they tried to pursue her, moving faster and more tightly than the spirits could follow. Her right arm's finger released another mana beam that narrowly missed Azrael, singeing a lock of his hair.

In response, Azrael teleported right before Mizuki, catching her with a blow to the stomach. Mizuki reeled back, gasping against the heavy impact. Azrael seized Mizuki's shoulders and threw her to the ground, conjuring another cluster of spirits on his hands to finish her off.

Another thrown knife caught Azrael on his arm, causing him to cry out and reel back, the spirits fading away. Morrel quickly intercepted Azrael, placing himself between Mizuki and his opponent. A heavy blow to the chest staggered back Azrael again, and Morrel followed up with a kick to the knee. Azrael spun away from the attack, catching Morrel on the jaw. The strike spun Morrel's head the other way, his jawbone aching. Still, Morrel turned back and raised his arm to block another one of Azrael's punches, then swung his other fist at Azrael's head. Azrael teleported out of the way, placing himself by Morrel's exposed flank and throwing another punch.

Mizuki's giant right arm caught Azrael's arm, throwing it to the side. Caught off-balance, Azrael was left open and both Morrel and Mizuki launched a combined attack against him. Yet again, however, Azrael vanished in a flash of blue light, placing himself a dozen feet away while he pulled the newest dagger out of his arm.

"Get him! I'll cover you!" Mizuki told Morrel, switching their combat roles to throw Azrael off-guard. Morrel nodded and charged after Azrael, but he was forced to stop when Azrael teleported right before Morrel, throwing a heavy kick that sent Morrel sprawling. Mizuki raised her right arm to launch a black mana beam, but Azrael conjured a handful of corrosive spirits on his hands, throwing a bolt of deadly black magic at Mizuki. Unable to dodge in time, Mizuki shouted as the mana bolt blasted into her, knocking her flat.

"You will be first to die, boy!" Azrael thundered, towering over Morrel and focusing more black mana on his fist. He pulled back his fist to throw a deadly punch and Morrel could only stare up at his opponent, his body aching and head pounding. He realized that he couldn't find the strength to block or evade Azrael's incoming attack.

Then, a pair of blue arms intercepted Azrael's punch, both hands catching Azrael's fist and firmly holding the attack back. A familiar Vedalken stepped into Morrel's view, his heavy brow furrowed in concentration.

"Roh... kan!" Morrel gasped.

Azrael's eyes betrayed his surprise. "You!"

"Me," Rohkan told him, throwing Azrael's fist to the side. His other two fists, enhanced with green mana, slammed into Azrael's chest and sent Azrael stumbling back, coughing against the heavy blow. Rohkan took a step forward, his straw sandals scuffing against the grass and his leather jacket creaking slightly. "The one you used and tried to discard!"

Azrael only glared back at Rohkan as Morrel and Mizuki got to their feet. "You didn't have the stomach to bear my mission of salvation," Azrael retorted. "You couldn't make the sacrifices needed!"

"None were needed at all!" Rohkan barked, his hands tightening on the hilts of his four swords. "I joined you in the hopes of accomplishing an act of greatness, but I watched you slip into madness and realized that fighting for you was a mistake." He looked around. "Where is Maretta? Did she come to her senses as well?"

Wiping blood off his armor, Azrael replied shortly, "She is dead. Killed on Innistrad."

"I see, then." Rohkan's face fell. "Tell me, Azrael: do any more need to die? How much more suffering will you cause before you are finished?"

"I'm tired of explaining myself to all of you fools!" Azrael snapped. "I work to bring back millions who were wrongfully slaughtered by otherworldly invaders! An entire dead nation is counting on me."

Rohkan lowered his voice. "Yes... your sister Geyosha told me the tale."

Azrael froze. "Her?"

"Yes. After I abandoned you, Azrael, the spirit of your sister visited me and told me the truth of what is happening." Rohkan's voice hardened. "She told me that your Sphere will not do what you want it to, but rather that its activation will trigger a terrible cataclysm of pent-up energy. If you are wise, you will destroy it before any more grief haunts you."

Azrael backed up a step, fighting for words. "No... no, Rohkan! I can't abandon my people like that!"

_If only Geyosha could tell Azrael this stuff on her own, _Morrel thought. _But he would go mad from the sight!_

"I too know what it it is like to be a disappointment, to feel like nothing," Rohkan told his former boss. "I was a pariah among my people back on Mirrodin, until I activated my Spark and explored the Multiverse to see all its wonders and cultures. If you keep yourself anchored to a past that you can't change, then I pity you and must stop you."

"Careful. You might provoke him," Morrel muttered at Rohkan.

The Vedalken looked over his shoulder at Morrel. "I am not so sure, battlemage. See how he hesitates?"

Azrael stared down at his two hands, then turned back to look at the hovering Sphere of Ages. He turned back to Rohkan, Morrel, and Mizuki, anxiety etched on his face. "What am I to do, then? Join my sister in death? Find a new culture to integrate into?"

"It is your life, Azrael. I can't tell you what to do, the way you tried to control _my _life," Rohkan told him. "Destroying that Sphere is your best option, but I won't tell you to do it."

Azrael pursed his lips. "Even if I do want to destroy it, Nihil will not let me."

Rohkan tilted his head. "Who? That stranger who attacked me on Mirrodin? He is a strange one, with his purple fire and binding mana cords."

"You don't know him?" Azrael insisted. "He is one of the Multiverse's most renowned mercenaries. His fame spreads far and wide. All who bear the Spark know him."

Rohkan's face scrunched in confusion. "I have heard nothing of such a man! Are you sure he is not fooling you somehow? Us Planeswalkers learn strange magic from all corners of the Multiverse. He may be fooling you and using you for his own means."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "Is that possible?"

"It can't be," Azrael shook his head. "What use could others get from my Sphere? Besides, its magic is far too complex and arcane for a mere mercenary to understand or make use of."

Rohkan unsheathed his four swords, making everyone jump back in alarm. "Then I will find the truth!" he declared, leaping after Nihil.

"Wait!" Azrael shouted, but fell silent as Rohkan stepped into Nihil's battle, narrowly avoiding Zoira's fire tigers and dragon. Both Veldor and Zoira stepped back as the Vedalken confronted Nihil.

Breathing hard, Nihil regarded Rohkan with contempt. "Well, the blue boy returns! What business do you have here, swordsman?"

Rohkan pointed one blade at Nihil. "My business is sorting out this whole mess! I believe you're the root of all this, Nihil."

"That's ridiculous," scoffed the bigger man. "Go away!"

In response, Rohkan pounced and brandished all four swords, releasing four jets of fierce flames from his blades. Nihil leaped out of the way, letting the fire jets blast onto the ground instead. Nihil pushed his way through the fire, swinging his meaty fists at Rohkan's face. Rohkan blocked with his swords, but his arms trembled against Nihil's strong blows. Nihil swatted aside two of Rohkan's arms and smashed his fist onto Rohkan's nose-less face, sending the blue man sprawling onto the grass.

Nihil leaped after his foe, throwing blasts of purple fire everywhere. Rohkan frantically scrambled out of the way, letting chunks of the cliff get vaporized by the purple fire. Launching his own fire jets in response, Rohkan kept Nihil busy with the fireballs, then slipped into Nihil's undefended flank.

Aware of Rohkan's flanking move, Nihil slugged a fist into Rohkan's gut, then bound both of Rohkan's left arms together with a cord of white mana. Shouting in defiance, Rohkan infused his two right swords with fire and slashed the blades against Nihil's smirking face.

Mizuki clapped her hands over her mouth. "Did he get him?"

"I don't think so. Look at that," Morrel said grimly. Nihil backed away, clutching his hands at his smoking face. Both Zoira and Veldor hurried over to join Morrel and Mizuki, still wary as Azrael and Rohkan watched Nihil slowly back up, blinded by smoke.

"How dare you... Vedalken," snarled Nihil, but his voice sounded different to Morrel, deeper and distorted. Nihil slowly lowered his face, and two green lights shone from his eyes. "You have ruined everything!"

Mizuki clutched at Morrel's arm. "What the hell is he?" she muttered tensely.

Morrel stared; Nihil's face appeared bony, his face like a porcelain mask with cracks on the brow and cheeks. Two glowing green eyes stared from the eye sockets and his teeth were like steel. His hair was gray and dead-looking, although it still stood up like a military instructor's hairstyle. More disturbing, however, was his neck: oily muscles bulged with only plates of hardened porcelain covering them on the front and back of the neck, and the black oil oozed from between muscle bundles. The rest of Nihil's skin stopped at the base of the neck as though torn away.

"You tore off my disguise, little Vedalken," Nihil continued, taking a step forward and clenching his fists. "For that I will kill you! Kill all of you and then claim the Sphere for my masters."

Azrael gawked, his loftiness gone. "What are you, demon? You swore to help me!"

At that, Nihil only chuckled. "I only promised to help get that Sphere together and operational, and I have my own plans for that excellent device you have created."

Unswayed, Azrael tightened his own fists. "You have some explaining to do!"

_Yeah, _Morrel silently agreed, unable to take his eyes off Nihil. _You do._

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Teleport, Hindering Light, Tendrils of Corruption, Cancel, Crystallization, Consume Spirit, Incinerate**


	39. Chapter 39

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 39**

Rohkan lowered his swords but didn't take his eyes off Nihil. "I cannot say I expected this," he said grimly. "Just what are you?"

Before Nihil could answer, Azrael took a step forward, fire in his eyes as he jabbed an accusing finger at Nihil. "You! I recognize you!"

"Really?" the deformed Nihil retorted with a chuckle. "I don't believe we've ever met before, Azrael. I am just -"

"Liar." Azrael lowered his hands, balling them into fists. "I saw you! You were there leading the charge when that horde of monsters invaded my island home. I could never forget your monstrous face!"

Nihil sighed deeply, reaching for the skin on his collarbone. "It seems that there's no hiding it now," he lamented. "After all you've been through, Azrael, I suppose I can give you the truth... before I destroy you, that is." With a wet ripping sound, Nihil tugged on his skin, tearing it off his body like the wrapper on a gift. As his skin fell to the grass in a fleshy heap, Nihil stood proudly, revealing the rest of his horrific body. Like his face, his body lacked natural skin, just oily muscles held together with porcelain armor and fibers of machinery, giving him a very unnatural look. His fingers ended in talon-like claws and his feet were encased in boots that seemed permanently welded onto his flesh.

Veldor shrank back with a look of disgust on his face. "Used to men and women grafting Etherium onto their bodies. Some become more machine than flesh," he muttered darkly. "But never seen anything like this."

Nihil spread his arms wide. "My true name is indeed Nihil, but it seems that my lie of being a mercenary isn't working anymore, Azrael. I used a little one-use hypnotic spell on you to gain your trust and cooperation."

"To what end?" Azrael barked. Morrel could tell that Azrael wanted dearly to rip Nihil apart, but the red-headed man wanted answers first.

The porcelain-armored man folded his arms, droplets of dark oil dripping to the grass. "To complete my mission for my masters, powerful beings from a world you'll never see: New Phyrexia."

Mizuki blinked. "New what?"

"A world once called Mirrodin," Nihil gloated. "My Phyrexian masters needed a new home and the metal world of Mirrodin was a suitable candidate, what with the Glistening Oil taking root in the mana core. From where I come, Phyrexia is the ultimate power."

Rohkan bared his teeth. "Impossible. I visited my old home only days ago! There is no such 'Phyrexian' taint there. I saw the towering Oxidda Mountains, the endless razor plains, the Quicksilver Sea..."

"This is where your puny mind might get lost," Nihil taunted the assembly. "I was a Moriok boy living in a swamp village when the Phyrexians came. I fled the encroaching taint with my family, but the minions of the Praetor Elesh Norn abducted me and made me into what I am now. My Planeswalker Spark activated in the trauma, but I had already beheld New Phyrexia's glorious light and became the vassal of both Elesh Norn and another Preator, Jin-Gitaxias."

Unconvinced, Rohkan furrowed his blue brow. "That does not explain how all this happened on _Mirrodin_. My home has no such taint!"

What passed for a smirk crossed Nihil's horrific face. "Not _yet_, anyway."

"What does that mean?" Azrael demanded.

Nihil rubbed his bony head with a hand in wonder, his claws screeching against his pate. "Oh, how do I explain this..." he muttered. Then he brightened. "Like this: I come from another time, further along the time-space continuum. My lord Jin-Gitaxias mastered it some time ago."

Morrel reeled back. "Time... travel?" He had heard word of such an outlandish concept among the more studious Rhox monks back home on Bant, but he had dismissed such ideas as theoretical nonsense.

"That cannot be!" Azrael spat. "Not even my island nation's greatest scholars had cracked the secrets of traveling through time."

"You clearly don't know how much power Jin-Gitaxias gained when he and his Progress Engine minions got their hands on the Knowledge Pool," Nihil remarked. "Oh, it took them a lot of time and effort to work this out, but in the end it was done: Jin-Gitaxias gained the power to observe other worlds beyond New Phyrexia through both space and time, and sent me here as a trial run."

"To what end?" Zoira asked. "Just for that Sphere?"

"Sort of," Nihil told her. " You see, my Phyrexian masters know that complacency leads to ruination. Jin-Gitaxias and Elesh Norn knew that conquering more worlds for Phyrexia's glory would happen soon, and they sought to find any and all data about life energy, artificing, time travel, Planeswalking, _any _information that could further their cause." He gestured grandly with his arms. "And Azrael's island home was their best bet. They sent a small army of Norn's and Gitaxias' minions through space and time, and I led them to victory to plunder the island nation of all information it contained."

Azrael gritted his teeth. "And my Sphere?"

"A welcome bonus," Nihil added. "Jin-Gitaxias found you creating that Sphere and he sent me to help you reconstruct it when it was clear that you couldn't do so on your own. This Sphere will make an excellent addition to the Progress Engine back home."

Morrel swayed on the spot, his head feeling light. _No way... all this bloodshed and fighting and Planeswalking because these Phyrexian monsters want to harvest the Multiverse of its wisdom? Azrael... I thought he was the ultimate foe, and it turns out that he is just a pawn like the rest of us! How small and insignificant we must be to beings like this Elesh Norn and Jin-Gitaxias. _He cleared his throat. "Nihil! Are there other worlds in danger of invasion by the Phyrexians? Is this just your first mission of many?"

Nihil watched Morrel warily with his glowing green eyes. "Why?"

Morrel tightened his fists. "So I know whether to find and destroy you if you try this stunt on other worlds as well!"

At that, Nihil burst out laughing. "You have guts, boy! Truth be told, Jin-Gitaxias didn't find much else. Anyway, what's your stake in all this? I never attacked you or your home Plane of Bant!"

"You caused all this misery from the start," Morrel growled. "You destroyed Azrael's whole nation and that caused him to create the Sphere of Ages to undo the slaughter you caused. One of his minions, a lizard Kami on Kamigawa, was searching for a Sphere fragment when it destroyed Mizuki's home village and gave her a curse that ruined her whole life! Then I met Mizuki and promised her to find a way to cure her curse, most likely by helping her destroy the evil that caused it in the first place." He drew a deep breath. "At first I thought that destroying the Sphere of Ages and defeating Azrael would accomplish that mission. Now I know that destroying _you _will complete that mission!"

Mizuki looked aghast, then furious. "Then it's simple," she declared. "Everyone, we'll gang up on Nihil and make him pay for what he's done to all of us!"

Rohkan raised his sword. "Agreed, girl," he rumbled. "But there still the matter of this Jin-Gitaxias' use of the Knowledge Pool and the threat of further Phyrexian invasions. If Nihil falls, will another replace him?"

"I... dunno," Morrel interjected, his stomach feeling cold. _How far does this evil go?_

Azrael, meanwhile, stayed silent but his expression suddenly seemed thoughtful and determined. Before Morrel could ask him what he was thinking, Azrael turned back to face Nihil. "Rohkan is right. We should all strike!"

"Not if I get the Sphere first," Nihil remarked. At that, he pounced on the hovering Sphere, but before he could get there Azrael reached out with a hand. Intense blue and black mana sizzled on Azrael's hand, then leaped onto the Sphere and enveloped it with a protective cocoon.

"That barrier won't last," Nihil snarled. "I'll just have to distract you lot while I work on it." He stepped back and tensed his body, surges of black and white mana surrounding him. A sudden gale of wind picked up, buffeting Morrel and the others. Morrel backed away, shielding his face with his arms as the winds intensified, forming a vortex high in the air.

_What is Nihil doing now? _Morrel thought. _And this feeling... I've never felt anything like it!_

Along with the wind, a cold, light feeling swept through the air like a vortex of energy, forming an ethereal whirlpool in the sky. Then, inexplicably, dozens of beings fell through the vortex and landed heavily on the ground, more and more of them descending like hail all around Nihil. Morrel stared at them in shock. _More time travel? Are these things from Nihil's home?_

"Behold the glory of Phyrexia," Nihil smirked. "Be honored that your lives will be claimed by beings of blessed perfection!" At his word, the menagerie of monsters slowly lumbered forward, blocking off Morrel's party from Nihil and the Sphere.

"Quick, guys," Zoira muttered quickly, opening a survival pouch on her belt. She took out several thick plant roots. "Plesori roots to revitalize your bodies. All of you, eat!"

Without question Morrel took a root and bit down on it, wincing at its bitter, soapy taste. Still, he felt his muscles' aches fade away and his body felt strong and sturdy from the root's effects. His exhausted inner mana blossomed to full strength. He looked around and even Rohkan and Azrael accepted roots, consuming them at once. _Wow. Nihil really did unite us! We're all victims of the Phyrexian horrors. After all this, Azrael and the rest of us will have some serious talking to do._

Swallowing the last bite of his plesori root, Rohkan raised his swords again, drawing a deep breath. "Don't stop until they're all dead!" he thundered, releasing a battle cry and leaping toward the array of Phyrexian monsters. Snapping out of his alarmed daze, Morrel raised his fists in a defensive posture as the horde of Phyrexians advanced with assorted talons, teeth, and stingers. A collective shriek from the monsters pumped a wave of adrenaline through Morrel's body, his every nerve tingling with mana.

Four humanoid, porcelain-armored monsters charged after Morrel, raising black, curvy swords in their right arms. One porcelain monster swung its blade straight at Morrel's head, so the battlemage ducked the blow, letting the blade swish through empty air. Twisting into a different position, Morrel kicked out with one booted foot, knocking the sword out of the monster's hand. Focusing green mana on his fist, Morrel threw a heavy punch to the monster's unarmored gut, blasting it backwards and flat onto its back.

The other three porcelain soldiers stabbed their black blades through the air, trying to hack Morrel into bits. Morrel sprang to his feet and leaped away from one blade thrust, then slipped to the side to avoid another blade. He advanced on the last soldier, throwing out his hand with a surge of white mana. The soldier vanished, replaced by a ring of shimmering white mana. Morrel whirled around, narrowly ducking another sword thrust. However, he was too slow to avoid the other soldier's blade, and he gritted his teeth against the pain as the soldier's black blade sliced at his thigh, blood oozing from the wound and soaking his white pants.

"Hang on!" Mizuki hurried over, swinging her giant right arm's talons at the marauding soldiers. One of them, caught unawares, wailed as its armor was sliced apart and crushed under the pressure of Mizuki's claw grip, its fleshy innards squashed. Mizuki tossed aside the injured soldier, pointing her right index finger at another soldier. The soldier howled as a beam of focused black mana burned into its belly, blasting the soldier into smoking pieces.

"Thanks for that," Morrel panted, undoing his ring of oblivion. The trapped soldier re-appeared, disoriented and dizzy. Morrel hurled a knife into its gut and channeled his meager supply of red mana into it, triggering an explosion that shattered the soldier.

"It's nothing," Mizuki smirked as Azrael, Veldor, and Zoira charged into battle. She placed her left hand on her hip. "I just hope that – argh!"

As she spoke, Mizuki cried out and was thrown to the ground as a huge, four-winged creature swooped down and swatted her aside with one of its leathery wings. Morrel backed up a step, staring at the abomination. It had the feathered body of a bird, but its metallic head bore three nasty stingers in place of a beak, and its four bat-like wings seemed grafted onto its body. Before Mizuki could get to her feet, the bird-thing climbed into the sky again where it regrouped with two other similar creatures. The three birds dive-bombed for the kill, their wings flapping hard to gain speed.

With a caw and flash of fire, Zoira's phoenix swooped onto the scene, the elf herself riding on its back. The bird-creatures scattered as the phoenix flapped its wings, releasing a gale of scorching hot air. One of the bird-things got caught in the hot wall of air, its body disintegrating into a cloud of ash. The other two chased after the phoenix, driving their stingers repeatedly into the fire bird's belly, causing the phoenix to caw again in pain. All three birds swooped away, leaving Morrel and Mizuki with other monsters to worry about.

"Now I have your back, man of Esper," Rohkan commented as he and Veldor stood back-to-back, while Phyrexian horrors surrounded them. "It seems so long ago that we traded blows on Lorwyn."

"Yes. Uh, twenty-two days ago to be exact," Veldor added.

"Was it that short a time ago?" Rohkan frowned. "How the excitement of this Sphere fragment hunt has warped my sense of time!"

"No more time to talk," Veldor commented as a trio of porcelain soldiers advanced on him, their black blades raised for the kill. Veldor's own Etherium blade swung through the air, parrying the soldiers' swords with a series of loud clangs. With each blow, Veldor slowly pushed the soldiers back, his strong Etherium arm easily handling the unnatural strength of the soldiers. Knocking one soldier's blade aside, Veldor stabbed his blade into the soldier's armored gut, causing it to crumple to the grass in death. The other two soldiers thrust their blades at him, forcing Veldor to fall back.

Six more soldiers surrounded Rohkan, their swords filling the air. Rohkan smiled grimly and swung his own four swords to parry the enemies' blows. Turning slowly on the spot, Rohkan deflected one sword strike after another, his strong blue arms not even trembling from the effort of blocking. Bashing a soldier's sword aside with two swords, Rohkan thrust out his third sword blade, channeling his red mana into it. A blast of fire washed over the soldier, vaporizing it into ashes. Whirling around just in time, Rohkan batted aside blows from the other five soldiers, then tensed his muscles and flooded his whole body with primal green mana. Before the porcelain soldiers could launch another attack, Rohkan whirled rapidly on the spot like a tornado, his four swords slashing at the five porcelain soldiers hundreds of times. Helpless against the onslaught, the five soldiers cried out as they were diced into countless pieces.

"Impressive," Veldor commented. "But watch this." He blocked another volley of sword swings from the two porcelain soldiers he fought, then released four saw-like disks from his Etherium arm. The blades rapidly whirled through the air like angry insects, shredding the soldiers' fleshy innards into mince meat. The two soldiers collapsed as Veldor secured the disks back into his Etherium arm.

"Not too bad," Rohkan admitted.

"Your foul minions won't keep me away for long, monster!" Azrael warned Nihil as an assortment of Phyrexians approached him, blocking him from their master. Nearly a dozen metallic, half-rotted Loxodon lumbered toward Azrael as a living wall, foul oil dripping from their fetid flesh. Their hollowed-out, skull-like faces showed no emotion as they raised their axes for the kill. Behind them lurched several towering metallic golems, their rusted, acid-burned armor creaking with every movement. Their fingers consisted of long, ichor-stained claws that reached out toward Azrael.

From overhead swooped a trio of four-winged bird monsters, aiming their impaling devices straight at Azrael. Amused, Azrael teleported out of the way just as the birds reached him, their impalers stabbing into the ground instead. Re-appearing in mid-air, Azrael spread his arms wide, conjuring an intense spell of powerful black mana. A writhing mass of corrosive, agonized spirits cloaked him, then descended in a magical wave that spread across the ground, trapping the Loxodons and golems. The hapless Phyrexians squirmed and wailed as the spirits corroded them into dust.

The three birds tugged their stingers free of the earth and charged at Azrael again, attacking him from behind. Azrael bit back a cry as one bird's stinger stabbed into his back, but he managed to focus his blue mana and teleport away. Re-appearing behind the birds, Azrael threw a heavy kick that broke off one bird's head, then he charged his right fist with black mana and blasted the other birds apart with a pair of quick punches. He glided down to the ground, charging after Nihil again.

"Why don't you have a real challenge, then?" Nihil snapped as Azrael pushed his way through the Phyrexian ranks. He raised a hand in a commanding gesture. "Stop him!"

Azrael growled and skidded to a halt when more Phyrexian beasts lumbered into his way. This time, a handful of porcelain soldiers advanced on Nihil with swords raised, and a trio of porcelain-armored priests took up position behind the soldiers. Baring his teeth, Azrael swung his foot to take off a soldier's head, but his foot connected with a shimmering, nearly-invisible barrier and bounced off. One priest, its empty eye sockets trained on Azrael, held up its clawed hand with protective magic shimmering around its fingers.

_They're using support spells, _Azrael realized. The other soldiers surrounded him, swinging their swords every which way. Just as the blades got close to him, Azrael teleported out of the way, preparing another spirit attack. Before he could, however, three Phyrexian golems approached from all directions, slamming their fists down. Azrael evaded the blows as best he could, but the golems' thick, mottled plating shielded them from Azrael's counter-blows. A golem's claws raked Azrael's back, and then another golem's fist shot through the air and knocked Azrael to the ground.

"He needs help!" Morrel called over the din. He kicked a porcelain soldier out of the way and hurried over to Azrael, Mizuki tagging along behind him.

"Never thought we'd have to save _his _ass," Mizuki commented. "But these Phyrexians bother me, so it's okay."

Zoira's phoenix swooped close to the ground, a dozen fire tigers tagging along. "I'll hold them off," Zoira announced as her fire cats, and then her one wingless dragon, fought back a cluster of Phyrexians. "Focus on Azrael." Her flaming saber-tooth tigers fought ferociously, their paws and fangs tearing apart porcelain soldiers left and right. Even a Phyrexian golem fell prey to their claws, the metal monster torn into oily, fizzling pieces.

Azrael teleported away again, evading the Phyrexian golem trio. He collected a huge cloud of corrosive black spirits around his hands, but the porcelain soldiers and golems moved in to overwhelm him. Acting fast, Mizuki reached out with her left arm, conjuring a swarm of deadly tentacles of black mana. The countless tendrils impaled the Phyrexian monsters from every angle, sending the soldiers crashing to the ground in broken tangles. The golems remained standing, but their bodies creaked with damaged parts and puncture holes.

Then, much to Morrel's pleasant surprise, Veldor lumbered onto the scene in his Etherium power armor. Standing nearly eight feet tall in his suit, Veldor swung his huge metal fists at the golems, pummeling one square in the face. The golem's head was crushed flat, the body stumbling back from the blow and falling onto its back. The other two golems, however, stood strong as the three priests warded them with more shimmering barriers.

"Tigers," Zoira commanded, and her flaming cats ran around to the back of the Phyrexian army, pouncing on the priests with claws and saber-like teeth. The priests were easily tackled to the ground, ripped apart by the tigers. This left Veldor free to smash the two remaining golems apart with his suit's fists, with blue, white, and black mana pumping through his suit's power channels.

"Destroy them!" Nihil ordered his remaining Phyrexians, less than half of the original army. However, Morrel felt a sinking feeling in his gut as the remaining Phyrexians advanced. This time, a shrieking, squirming monster strained to break free of the chained collar that held it in place. Two brawny Phyrexian men firmly held onto the collar's chain leashes, barely holding the monster back. It had a long, lizard-like body with no eyes but a huge mouthful of teeth. Four long, mechanical legs sprouted from its body, its paws consisting of long talons and twisted barbs. Several more such creatures worked their way toward Morrel and the others, huffing and straining against their leashes.

Then the chained monsters were released.

In an instant the beasts tore across the battlefield, much faster than Morrel expected. One of them pounced right at him, forcing him to conjure a blue-gold barrier at the last second. The monster's jaws bounced off the barrier, but the beast still strained against the barrier, its legs clawing at the earth. Then, it snaked a limb around the barrier and raked its talons on Morrel's uninjured leg, causing him to wince in pain. The distraction shattered his barrier, and the huge beast wrestled Morrel to the ground.

Morrel tried to shove the beasts' jaws out of his face with his hands, feeling its hot breath on his face. _I can't die like this! Not to this thing! _Morrel broke away from the monster, rolling away from its deadly jaws. However, the monster seized him with its paw, slamming him back onto the ground on his face. Screwing up his face in concentration, Morrel reached out with his mana on the monster's face. Upon contact, the mana hardened into crystals that spread across the monster's face, sealing its jaws shut. The monster squirmed and scrabbled its claws against its face, confused. Morrel took his chance to break free again, wincing as his leg wounds throbbed as he stood back up.

"Behind you!" Rohkan burst onto the scene, his four swords slashing through the air. Another chained monster had charged right at Morrel from behind, but Rohkan's swords blocked its advance and scored multiple wounds on its belly. Angered, the monster thrashed violently with its metallic limbs, bashing aside Rohkan's swords. Then it snapped out with its jaws, taking a slobbering bite into Rohkan's leg.

Alarmed, Morrel threw a heavy kick onto the monster's head, throwing its head to the side. Just as quickly, he threw out his white mana, and a white ring of magic removed the monster's two front legs from existence. Breathing hard as his leg seeped with blood, Rohkan pointed his swords and bathed the hapless monster with a raging inferno. Only ashes remained of the monster, and Morrel banished his rings and turned to the beast with crystals on its face. "And this one?" he urged Rohkan.

"Yes," Rohkan said. First, however, he channeled green mana onto his leg wound, and sizzling green flesh grew in the wound, sealing it tight. Then, Rohkan put his four swords together, red and green mana melding the blades into one.

_Wait, I remember Rohkan doing this before! _Morrel realized, recalling the battle on Ravnica. This time, however, he was grateful to see the giant, fifteen-foot-long mega-sword that Rohkan now wielded, its hilt held tight in his four strong hands. With a savage grunt, Rohkan swung his giant blade through the air and with one clean slice, the sword split the crystal-addled monster in half. Another chained monster charged at Rohkan, only to meet the same fate.

"That's amazing," Morrel panted.

"But it is tiring work," Rohkan admitted as the others fought off the rest of the Phyrexians. He lowered his giant blade and walked over to Morrel, green mana vapors focusing on his hands. "Let me address those wounds."

Morrel stood still as Rohkan pressed his hands to his leg wounds, trying not to squirm as green mana seeped into his injuries and sealed them closed. Nearby, Zoira's phoenix blasted away more Phyrexians with its fire wings, but Morrel couldn't see the fire tigers or wingless dragon. Most likely, those summoned creatures had been destroyed by now.

"Now then. We must reach Nihil and destroy him!" Rohkan declared, taking hold of his mega-sword and turning to face Nihil again. "His Phyrexians have fallen. This is our chance."

Still breathing hard, Morrel made his way back to the others. The rest of the Phyrexians indeed lay scattered in defeat, although Mizuki, Veldor, Zoira, and Azrael all looked worse for wear. Still, Mizuki gave him a quick smile. "This is it, Morrel," she told him, flexing the fingers of her giant right arm. "We kill Nihil, and all this horror is over."

Morrel placed his hand on Mizuki's shoulder. "By this time tomorrow, you'll be free from your curse and get your life back."

Veldor took a few steps toward Nihil, his huge Etherium suit clanking. "Must act now," he warned everyone. "Sphere's protective barrier weakening."

"Right," Morrel nodded, then he walked toward Nihil along with everyone else.

Nihil's hands crackled with a spell's mana and he had his hands pressed tightly on the Sphere to erode its barrier, but he looked up at the six people approaching him. "So, it falls to me to get rid of you all," he commented. He dissipated his spell, stepping away from the Sphere as he raised his hands in a combat gesture. "It's time to put you all down for good!"

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Porcelain Legionnaire, Oblivion Ring, Impaler Shrike, Incinerate, Loxodon Convert, Phyrexian Hulk, Teleport, Consume Spirit, Suture Priest, Apostle's Blessing, Tendrils of Corruption, Chained Throatseeker, Hindering Light, Crystallization, Regenerate**


	40. Chapter 40

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Chapter 40**

Morrel tensed as Nihil took a few menacing steps toward his party, but he still felt a spark of confidence. _Even if Nihil has his full "Phyrexian" power going for him now, it's still six against one! That includes Rohkan with his upgraded sword ability, too. What can Nihil possibly – whoa!_

Without warning, Nihil crouched and thrust his open, porcelain-armored palms to the grassy ground, channeling intense rays of black and white mana through his oil-tainted flesh and into the earth. At once, roiling swaths of purple-black fire erupted from the grass, the heatless flames threatening to swallow up Morrel's entire party. Feeling a thrill of adrenaline, Morrel vaulted to the side, narrowly missing a nearby plume of Nihil's fire. Still, the edge of Morrel's white cloak got caught in the fire, and when Morrel moved himself to safety, he found that the lower fourth of his cloak was totally gone. _No doubt about it. There aren't even any frays or burn marks! That fire absolutely banishes whatever it touches._

Around him, Morrel watched as the rest of his allies got clear of Nihil's fire, but the raging dark flames gave Nihil the time he needed to approach even closer without taking any harm. Smiling wolfishly, Nihil stuck out his open palms, blasting out more streams of purple fire at random. Morrel rolled out of the way as a jet of dark fire surged past him, and nearby, Mizuki nimbly pounced to escape the fire and Azrael teleported high into the air to reach safety.

"Too bad we have to fight each other now," Nihil shouted up at Azrael. "My Voidfire has no weakness!"

"We'll see," Azrael spat, then he vanished in another flash of blue. He re-appeared right beside Nihil, throwing a heavy kick at his Phyrexian foe. Nihil grunted as Azrael's booted foot slammed into his armored chest, forcing him to stagger back from the heavy blow. Before Azrael could make another move, Nihil threw two quick jabs at his foe, forcing Azrael to narrowly dodge each one. Azrael drew back his fist, focusing black mana on his hand to enhance his next blow. First, however, Nihil stretched out his right arm, his inner flesh writhing and contorting under it porcelain armor. To everyone's shock, a huge chrome surgical needle shot out of Nihil's wrist, black liquid dripping from its point.

Nihil thrust the needle at Azrael's neck, and Azrael tumbled to evade the stab. Flinging white mana from his left hand, Nihil bound Azrael's arms and legs together, causing Azrael to nearly tip over from loss of balance. Azrael focused his blue mana to teleport away, but with a flare of white, the mana cords binding him suppressed the blue mana, trapping him in place.

"A little gift from Jin-Gitaxias: a numbing sting," Nihil declared, thrusting the needle right into Azrael's neck. The red-haired man's muscles tensed as the liquid seeped into his bloodstream, his whole body twitching in his white mana restraints. His legs wobbling, Azrael slumped to the grass.

Nihil took a step back. "Anyone else?"

The muscles in Rohkan's jaw bunched in irritation. "We attack in groups," he told the rest. "Battlemage, I will channel my green mana into you to dispel the binds on Azrael. But I have no cure for the poison Nihil gave him."

Morrel's heart hammered in apprehension, watching Nihil's every move. _He's a monster! _"We'll work on one thing at a time. Let's go, everyone!"

With a deafening cry, Zoira's phoenix lifted itself into the air with a sweep of its blazing wings, diving straight at Nihil with Zoira still riding on its back. At the same time, Mizuki charged across the grasslands, her giant right arm outstretched for the kill. Veldor, meanwhile, hung back and fell to one knee to brace himself as he summoned all of his white, blue, and black mana.

"Will employ power armor suit!" the Esper artificer told everyone. "Cover me until then!"

Morrel recalled Veldor's huge armor suit from the battles on Lorwyn and Innistrad, and decided that that huge armor suit was just what his team needed against Nihil. Tightening his fists, Morrel pumped himself with green, white, and blue mana, his muscles tensed with power. He and Rohkan charged at Nihil at a different angle than Mizuki and Zoira, cutting off Nihil's escape routes and attacking his flanks. Rohkan raised his gigantic sword, flooding its keen edges with fiery red and green mana.

"Nice try," Nihil taunted as Zoira's phoenix dived at him for the kill. Spreading his feet apart to brace himself, Nihil raised his arms and conjured a wide shield of shimmering, nearly translucent mana. The phoenix crashed into the barrier, causing a shower of white and red mana sparks to sputter from the point of impact as the bird struggled to gain ground. Mizuki, meanwhile, pointed her right finger at Nihil and released a focused beam of black mana. Caught unawares, Nihil winced as the beam blasted into his armored side, causing his armor to start melting and smoking.

Dissipating his barrier, Nihil jumped out of the way as Zoira's phoenix smashed into the ground. Mizuki swung her giant talons at her foe, but Nihil dodged that too, backing up across the grass and releasing another jet of Voidfire. Mizuki gave up her assault on the spot, tumbling to her right to avoid the deadly Voidfire's flames.

"Face your death, abomination!" Rohkan howled, leaping into the air and swinging his huge sword down toward Nihil in a flaming arc. The Phyrexian Planeswalker hopped away as the flaming blade smashed into the ground, but Rohkan's enormous blade released an earth-shuddering wave of red and green mana. Nihil grunted as he stumbled and fell, rocked by the shock wave. Seeing his chance, Morrel bunched all of his mana into his right fist, throwing his fist down at his foe. A second, smaller blast of mana filled the air as Morrel's fist hit home, smashing right into Nihil's porcelain-armored chest.

Morrel panted as he stepped back from the dust cloud, his fist aching from the strain. Rohkan lowered his giant sword as he approached the battlemage. "Did you finish him?" the Vedalken asked apprehensively.

Panting, Morrel replied, "I dunno, but after all our combined attacks, that must have – aaaargh!"

Something rather solid came crashing into Morrel, and he realized through a haze of pain and movement that Nihil had recovered from the blow and had charged right at him. A porcelain-plated fist smashed into Morrel's gut, knocking the air out of his lungs. As Morrel doubled over with his vision flickering, a booted foot smashed into his waist, throwing him roughly to the grass. Morrel cried out as he crashed to the ground, agony pulsing in his gut and hip bone.

Nihil swung down his hand in a heavy chop, aiming the blow right at Morrel's head. However, Rohkan's giant blade intercepted Nihil's hand, and Nihil's arm trembled in effort against the blade. Rohkan's four arms held his sword steady, then he hoisted his blade up and flung Nihil away. Zoira's phoenix swooped in from behind, its fiery wing swatted Nihil in another direction with a blast of flames. Wailing in agony, Nihil tumbled clumsily to the ground, giving Morrel time to struggle to his feet.

"He's not beaten yet," Rohkan said grimly as the phoenix swooped away again. "Help me free Azrael!"

"Y-yeah," Morrel panted, letting Rohkan guide him to the paralyzed redhead. Crouching by Azrael's side, Morrel pressed his hands against the shimmering white mana cords, focusing what little green mana he had left. Rohkan set down his giant blade and grasped Morrel's arms with his four hands, and Morrel felt his muscles grow thick and heavy as primal green mana surged into his flesh. Green mana radiated over Azrael's bonds, sizzling them. One by one, the mana cords snapped and popped apart, freeing Azrael's limp body. Although free, Azrael still lay on the grass, his eyes closed and breathing shallow.

"His pulse is weak," Morrel noted, pressing a finger to Azrael's neck. "It must be that venom!" He stood up. "Doesn't anyone have a cure for –"

Yet again, Morrel's speech was cut off by another development on the battlefield. This time, Veldor stomped across the battlefield in his towering Etherium power suit, swaths of blue, black, and white mana sizzling in the suit's mana veins. Just as Nihil sprang to his feet, Veldor got within striking distance and swung down both metallic fists. Reacting just in time, Nihil thrust out his hands and conjured another shimmering barrier, and Veldor's huge fists and the barrier spat out a maelstrom of sparks and loose bolts of energy as both warriors strained against each other's arcane might. First Nihil pushed Veldor back, then Veldor recomposed himself and started to push Nihil right back.

"I'm here," Zoira announced breathlessly as her phoenix landed right by Morrel and Rohkan. The Zendikar elf hurried over to the limp Azrael, fumbling in her survival pouches.

"Do you have an antidote for him?" Rohkan asked tersely.

Zoira produced a small vial of dark red liquid. "This is distilled sap from a tree species native to the Ondu continent of Zendikar. It'll hold off the effects of most poisons, but if Azrael survives this, he'll have to get more permanent treatment elsewhere." With that, she knelt by Azrael, uncorking the vial and tipping it over. Red liquid poured into Azrael's mouth, and the man coughed and stirred a little.

"Raaaah!" With a blast of black and white power, Nihil heaved his arms and threw Veldor away, causing Veldor to stumble backwards to avoid falling over. His Etherium armor suit smoked and rough corrodes patches stood out on the gleaming armor due to Nihil's effect, but on the other hand, Nihil himself panted and sagged his shoulders from the effort of fighting Veldor off. Nihil pointed at him. "You think your power suit will save you? Pitiful! The artificers of Elesh Norn and Jin-Gitaxias could improve vastly on the design."

"Always looking for new sources of insight," Veldor commented, "but not going to indulge in evil. Will destroy you instead." He charged after Nihil again, dodging his foe's renewed blasts of Voidfire. Leaping into the air, Veldor focused his tri-colored mana onto his fists, swinging his mighty arms over and over at Nihil. The black-white Planeswalker dodged and rolled to evade the blows, even landing a counter-punch that sent Veldor reeling back. Regaining his composure, Veldor landed a solid counter-punch to Nihil's porcelain-armored chest, following by a powerful kick that sent Nihil stumbling back.

"Now!" Rohkan declared, picking up his giant sword again and charging. Mizuki followed suit, her cursed right arm reaching out for the kill as she too rushed at her opponent. Snarling at the incoming opposition, Nihil first dodged another punch from Veldor, then swished his hand through the air. Dozens of white mana cords snaked through the air, binding Veldor's arms and legs together. Veldor's Etherium armor suit toppled to the ground, helpless.

Morrel's insides squirmed. _Nihil just doesn't run out of mana! He's incredibly durable, too. I'd drop dead if I used as much mana as he has so far! I'll have to back up Mizuki and Rohkan, then. Wow, that's weird. Giving backup to Rohkan!_

Mizuki's ivory-colored talons slashed back and forth through the air, forcing Nihil back. At the same time, Rohkan jabbed his huge blade at his foe. Barely evading Mizuki's talons, Nihil grunted as Rohkan's huge blade slashed into his chest, shattering a plate of armor and slicing into his flesh underneath. Bleeding black oil, Nihil winced as Mizuki's sharp claws tore across his upper chest and arms, scraping away layers of his armor and drawing more wounds on his flesh. Just as Nihil threw a counter-blow, Morrel conjured a Hindering Light barrier that stopped Nihil's punch cold. Left exposed, Nihil could do nothing as Rohkan's newest blade slash broke another plate of armor, this time on his left thigh.

"That's enough!" Nihil roared, reaching out with his palms. Moving away from Morrel's barrier, Nihil issued a blast of Voidfire that forced Rohkan to dodge, leaving Nihil free to jab his giant chrome needle at Mizuki. The Kamigawa Planeswalker slipped past the blow, but she was too slow to evade Nihil's real blow: a hard punch that sank into her gut, blasting her onto her back. Mizuki fought to get up, but she only squirmed like a fish on a dock, crying weakly for Morrel's aid.

Fury burning in his gut, Morrel pounced after Nihil, who was still distracted by attacking Rohkan with Voidfire. Charging up his mana on his fists, Morrel swung one blow after another at Nihil. "Don't... hurt... my... friend!" Morrel roared between punches, determined to take Nihil apart. Nihil evaded the blows and blocked Morrel's newest punch, then released a small blast of Voidfire with his other hand. Morrel rolled to evade the purple flames, but Nihil's booted foot smashed into his shoulder, throwing him to the ground. Morrel rolled onto his back, clutching at his right shoulder. _He nearly broke my arm!_

Rohkan split his super-sword back into his four regular swords with his green and red mana, raising his quad blades just in time for Nihil's newest assault. The Vedalken's four blades fended off one punch after another, but Nihil still got past the Vedalken's guard. He landed a punch to Rohkan's gut and a kick to the blue man's shin, the latter blow lowering Rohkan's guard. Nihil drew back his hand, conjuring Voidfire to finish the job.

"No!" Morrel leaped to his feet, his pained shoulder forgotten as he rushed to Rohkan's aid. His mana-charged left fist snapped Nihil's head to the side, canceling Nihil's attack. Morrel's heel smashed into Nihil's damaged thigh, drawing a hiss if pain from the bigger man. Blood pounding in his ears, Morrel landed another blow to Nihil's upper chest, causing cracks to appear on the armor plate that he struck.

Nihil's arm came up to stop Morrel's newest blow, then Nihil knocked away Morrel's other arm and threw a punch that Morrel barely slipped past. Morrel conjured the last of his mana, creating a lattice of gold crystals that enveloped Nihil's left arm, rendering it useless.

"Damn you!" Nihil cursed as Morrel backed away. Morrel's breaths came in gasps and his legs trembled, his head feeling light.

_By the angels... I can't go on much longer! _Morrel realized desperately. He staggered away from Nihil, getting closer to Rohkan for cover. _Mana-wise, I'm spent. How can I defeat a man who's so thoroughly upgraded by these Phyrexian guys? Nihil could fight forever! _Still, Morrel tried not to let despair grip him as he moved on to Mizuki, extending an arm for her to take. "Come on. We're not done yet." In the distance, Nihil smashed the crystals on his arm with his armored fist.

"I know," Mizuki huffed, her face wincing in pain as she took Morrel's hand, getting back to her feet. Her giant right arm hung limply, her huge knuckles and fingers resting on the ground. She forced a tired smile. "Morrel, you look awful, all exhausted and bruised and sweaty." Behind her, Zoira's phoenix and Rohkan charged in to assault Nihil. Azrael and Veldor were nowhere in sight.

Morrel forced a laugh. "Me? What about you? You look like you could use a long nap and a session with the Bant healers. Remember, after our Lorwyn mission? Rohkan tore us a new one and we needed patching up."

"And now he's fighting with us," Mizuki commented, turning to watch the Vedalken trade savage blows with Nihil. "And what about us? Feel like getting back into the fight, Morrel?"

Morrel breathed in deep, straightening his posture. "I can try. Depends on if Rohkan will hit me up with another mana boost." Mizuki stared at him for a second, then both she and Morrel burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Morrel asked in spite of his own laughter.

"I... I don't know," Mizuki gasped, trying not to laugh anymore. "I just... oh, forget it. We have to kick Nihil's ass. I hate that bastard more and more."

With a sudden blast that made both Morrel and Mizuki jump, Nihil, Rohkan, and Zoira's phoenix all went flying in different directions. Morrel guessed that the explosion resulted from the intense mana of all three combatants clashing, and the sight of Nihil getting thrown to the ground gave him renewed hope. Joining Mizuki's side, Morrel made his way toward his Phyrexian foe, feeling the dregs of his strength gathering in his body. _I'm probably good for just one more round after all. I have to get this right!_

Veldor, meanwhile, sprang to his feet, the remnants of Nihil's mana cords getting flung into the air. "Everyone underestimates Etherium," Veldor commented breathlessly as he lumbered rapidly across the battlefield, giant metal fists clenched. "Attack now, everyone!"

At last Azrael was back in action, the red-headed man getting firmly to his feet. Wasting no time, he gathered blue and black mana on his fists, sprinting toward the downed Nihil. Zoira's phoenix swooped after its prey while Rohkan charged with all four swords held at the ready. Both Morrel and Mizuki joined the assault, a battle cry on their lips.

Then Nihil bolted to his feet and unleashed a rippling wave of Voidfire.

"Scatter!" Veldor shouted as the deadly purple fire raged toward the advancing attackers. The very earth was erased from existence layer by layer as the fire flowed, threatening to consume everyone. Morrel and the others scattered at Veldor's command, letting loose jets of the Voidfire pass between them. Not giving up, Morrel and the others continued their charge, trying not to lose their footing on the Voidfire-impaired ground. Both Rohkan and Veldor reached Nihil first, swinging their combined fists and swords for the kill.

Nihil stuck out his arms. From his right arm extended a huge white blade, impaling Rohkan in the gut before the Vedalken could land a blow. Rohkan hung on Nihil's blade, gasping bloodily in shock as his four swords dropped from his numb hands. Meanwhile, from Nihil's left arm shot another blast of Voidfire, the purple flames erasing Veldor's entire right arm, Etherium armor and all. The Esper artificer winced as the fire wiped out his limb, but he still pressed closer.

"Veldor! Wait for us!" Mizuki bellowed.

Ignoring Mizuki, Veldor grunted in effort and slammed his left fist right onto Nihil, the sheer force sending Nihil to his plated knees. Straining his body to the maximum, Nihil flung Rohkan to the side, then released another blast of Voidfire that wiped out armor plating from Veldor's Etherium power suit. Still Veldor hung on, ripping off Nihil's porcelain armor plates with loud ripping sounds, tossing the pieces to the side.

"That's enough from you!" Nihil growled. His Voidfire erased the last of Veldor's armor suit, then his giant blade stabbed right into Veldor's gut. The Esper artificer, like Rohkan, froze as the blade impaled him, his body hanging limply from the metal. Nihil tossed Veldor aside, letting Veldor sprawl to the ground.

"Raaaaah!" Zoira's phoenix crashed headlong into Nihil with a blast of raging fire, and at the same time Mizuki threw out her left arm, launching a cluster of black mana tentacles at Nihil. The combined red and black mana released another blast of mana that tore at Nihil's tattered armor and flesh, causing him to stagger weakly from his injuries.

"Damn... damn you all!" Nihil roared, brandishing his chrome needle, blade, and fists in indignation. Ignoring the curse, Rohkan seized his swords while a patch of green mana started to seal his grievous chest wound. Hurrying forward as fast as he could, Rohkan made his way to Nihil and raised his blades.

"This is for all you've done!" Rohkan declared thunderously, slashing down all of his swords. The quartet of blades smashed into Nihil's porcelain-armored body, shattering the last of his armor plates and cutting deep into his flesh with a gush of black, oily blood. Rohkan drew back, wincing and sweating. He fell to his knees, releasing his swords again. "I... have no more strength," he gasped. "Finish it!"

Azrael looked to Morrel. "We have had our differences, battlemage," he stated. "But this time, we are allies. Let us complete Rohkan's wish." He extended his hand, channeling a stream of black mana into Morrel's chest. At once, Morrel felt his body grow light as sudden strength seeped into his muscles.

"What did you do?" Morrel asked, taking a step back.

"Temporary power boost," Azrael said. "Now let us go!"

"Don't forget me!" Mizuki raced onto the scene, her giant right arm's talons humming with black mana. Morrel, Mizuki, and Azrael pounced on the hapless Nihil, drawing back their arms for the attack.

Nihil grimaced. "I may die, but Phyrexia is eternal! You will never have true victory!"

"Perhaps not," Azrael declared, "but this is good enough!" With that, he, Morrel, and Mizuki combined their final attacks, their black, blue, white, and green mana coalescing into a single blast that overwhelmed Nihil with a single surge. Nihil's last wail was drowned out as the raging mana vaporized his body, shredding it into fine ash that was blown away by the whirling mana. Morrel felt his muscles suddenly ache from the exhaustion of his emergency black mana, and as the mana storm died down, he fell to his knees, his head feeling light and sore.

"Did we... do it?" he gasped, his stomach writhing unpleasantly. He coughed.

"Y-yeah." Mizuki knelt heavily beside him, her hair tangled and sweaty, her body bruised. She clapped her trembling left hand to Morrel's shoulder and forced a smile. "We did it. Nihil's gone."

"I'll check on Veldor," Zoira said tensely, landing her phoenix and hurrying to where Veldor lay on the ground. Morrel watched her go, realizing that without the help of her and Veldor, reaching this conclusion would have been impossible. _The angels have been watching over us all, _Morrel realized.

Mizuki suddenly flinched, withdrawing her hand from Morrel's shoulder. "My... arm!" she hissed, her giant right arm falling numbly to the uneven ground. Morrel took a few steps back, realizing what was about to happen. Mizuki threw back her head and let out a cry as torrents of foul black mana seeped from her right arm, rising like smoke in a wind. An eerie, otherworldly howl shook the air as the black lizard Kami's curse rushed out of Mizuki's flesh, the loose black mana coalescing into a tensely packed ball. Then, the sphere of mana dissolved, strands of black mana flying every which way and fading from sight. Groaning, Mizuki started to slump over, her body drained of energy. Morrel quickly caught her, easing her onto her back and kneeling by her side.

"My arm..." Mizuki said again, slowly raising her normal right arm and looking at her hand. "It... feels so light. And weak."

"Your curse is gone," Morrel told her firmly, taking hold of her right hand in both of his. "You're free from your curse, Mizuki! It's over. It's over..."

"Yeah," Mizuki gave a watery chuckle. "Yeah, it is! And your Journey of Souls..."

"Is complete," Morrel finished for her, his eyes going wide and his mind flashing back to Bant, recalling the faces of his Rhox friend Yerkel, his lord the King Ledram, and his kind older brother Raphael. _I can't wait to go back home._

Mizuki slowly got up again, wobbly but getting surely to her feet. She stretched her right arm, flexing the fingers and swinging her arm around. "No more ugly giant arm," she commented giddily. "No more violence, no more horrified looks, no more people throwing me out of their village or town and calling me a freak! It's all done!" She wrapped her arms tightly around Morrel's chest, burying her face in his shirt. "Thank you," she said quietly, tears soaking into Morrel's shirt.

"Mmmmm," Morrel hummed, holding Mizuki tight.

Shuffling her boots through the grass, Zoira kept her expression downcast as she returned to the others. "It's too late," she said heavily. "Veldor..."

"What happened?" Morrel asked in alarm as Mizuki let go of him.

"He's gone. Wound was too deep," Zoira said, her lip trembling and eyes shining with tears. "H-he gave his life to make sure we defeated Nihil."

Morrel held his hands together in a prayer, dipping his head. "The angels rest his spirit for his courage and sacrifice." To his amazement, Mizuki imitated the movements, muttering the same words.

Then, Morrel turned to Azrael. "We still have unsettled business. That Sphere of Ages is right over there, waiting for someone to use it."

"I know," Azrael responded quickly, aware that Morrel, Mizuki, Rohkan, and Zoira were all watching him intently. He held out his hands in a harmless gesture. "And I will not be using it. I know now that it only brings evil, and that my grand ambitions were folly. Who am I to resurrect my people? I..." He coughed suddenly, blood leaking from his mouth. He fell to his knees, his body wracked with coughing and spasms.

"What is happening?" Rohkan demanded out loud.

"My body... weakened from the strain," Azrael coughed out. "My mana is almost depleted. I... don't think I can even Planeswalk anymore. But the Sphere remains... it's my creation, my responsibility." He looked upwards at the clouds, where Nihil's time vortex still whirled like a tornado. "But I can do one more thing."

Morrel watched his former enemy closely. "What would that be?"

Azrael struggled to his feet and began shuffling toward the hovering Sphere. "That time vortex links us to Nihil's time and home Plane. Suppose I were to travel back through that vortex to New Phyrexia and detonated my Sphere of Ages there?"

Alarmed, Morrel reached out a hand as if to seize Azrael. "No! We opposed you, Azrael, because activating that Sphere would cause a cataclysm that could adversely affect all nearby Planes."

"You do not have the complete picture," Azrael wheezed, reaching the Sphere and taking hold of it. "This world, Dominaria, is at the Multiverse's center and has strong ties to nearby Planes. Triggering the Sphere here would cause untold damage, but I know where Mirrodin is, the world that will become New Phyrexia. Once I go through that vortex, I can detonate the Sphere and obliterate the foul world from which Nihil came. What's more, few other Planes would be impacted by the detonation."

"Are you sure about this?" Morrel persisted.

"Battlemage, the odds are that Nihil's masters may send more agents to scour the Multiverse for powerful artifacts like my Sphere," Azrael argued. "And this detonation will cause much less collateral damage on New Phyrexia than it would here, as I told you. This must be done. I will give my own life to ensure my success. Wish me luck."

"But..." Morrel lowered his hand, watching as Azrael lifted himself toward the waiting vortex. No one else moved as Azrael reached the vortex's center, and the vortex swallowed him up just like that. As Azrael vanished into the time current, the vortex slowed its rotation and crumbled, wisps of time magic scattering everywhere and fading away.

Mizuki stared in amazement as the clouds parted. "He really did it," she breathed. "We didn't even try to stop him."

"After all this, I find it a rather likely that Azrael will keep his word," Morrel figured. "At least, it's a good thing to hope for. We'll probably not see him again no matter what happens. Now, we take care of our own business."

Rohkan sheathed his four swords. "It was an honor to reconcile myself with you all," he declared. "I will return to my home of Mirrodin. What I will do there, I am not certain, but my home calls to me. Perhaps I can make a new living there, using my strength to fight evil wherever I may find it. Good-bye." He vanished in a flash of red and green.

Zoira walked back to Veldor, slumping Veldor's one-armed body over her shoulder. She unsummoned her phoenix, returning the fire bird to its otherworldly realm. "I'll take him back to Esper," she stated. "He deserves to be back among his people for, you know..."

"We know," Mizuki nodded. "And Zoira?"

"Yes?"

Mizuki took a deep breath. "He never directly said it, but... Veldor loved you. You were everything to him."

Zoira offered a wan smile. "I know. And I loved him too. I just never had the guts to say it. Now, I can just give him a gentle farewell on his home Plane and remember him fondly. He'd like that."

"Oh, he would," Mizuki smiled back. "Take care, Zoira." A second later, the Zendikar elf was gone.

Mizuki turned to Morrel. "Well, that leaves us. You need to go back home, right?"

"Right." Morrel nodded. "And what of you? Will you find a new life on Kamigawa?"

"That's the thing." Mizuki folded her arms. "I dunno where to go or what to do, really. I have no family left on Kamigawa, and there are many worlds yet to see. Tell you what... I'll search the Multiverse for the perfect place to live and I'll settle there." She smiled warmly. "I learned a lot from you, Morrel, and I'll put what I learned to good use."

Morrel beamed. "Then I guess this is farewell, then. Safe traveling, Mizuki. Whatever you decide to do, I just hope that you're happy and content. And don't forget that I still love you, even if I can't be with you anymore."

Mizuki gave an embarrassed laugh as she embraced Morrel again. "Yeah, I know. And I love you too. You've done so much for me. Kick some butt back on Bant for me, okay? Don't go all soft!"

"I'll try not to. I was raised my whole life for battle," Morrel said mildly as he took Mizuki's hand. "Will this still work? Taking me across the Planes?"

"Yes." Mizuki closed her eyes. "With my Kami curse gone, my Spark is more stable but I still sense my ability to carry one non-Planeswalker across the Multiverse. Lucky for you, or you'd be stranded here on Dominaria! Wouldn't that be crappy?"

Morrel grimaced. "Yeah, that would! Okay, I'm ready."

"Uh-huh." With a flash of white light, both Morrel and Mizuki vanished from Dominaria.

*o*o*o*o*

Clinging tightly to the Sphere of Ages with his aching fingers, Azrael narrowed his eyes against the ethereal winds raging in the time tunnel. The winds tore at his long hair and blue and black sleeves, but he braced himself against the powerful arcane energies and pushed his way into the future toward New Phyrexia. The Sphere of Ages glowed brightly in his hands, its intense mana stores already activated. _As soon as I appear in that new world, I will use this to forever end threats to the Multiverse! I will not have another Nihil stalking the Planes._

Then, with a strange sensation like being squeezed from a tight tube, Azrael felt himself popping out of the time vortex. Bright, multi-colored light dazzled his eyes from five suns floating in the sky, one matching each known color of mana. Azrael risked a glance behind him and saw the time vortex shrinking into nothing, sealing him away from Dominaria and his own time. _This is it. There is no turning back. _He turned his eyes back down, realizing that he was hundreds of feet in the air over a twisted, dark metal world. A vast quicksilver sea rippled in the near distance with jagged, rusty metal spires thrusting from underneath the waves. Drakes infused with harsh metallic implants soared through the skies, emitting bone-jarring wails with droplets of black oily saliva flying from their jaws. Far below, Azrael saw a huge metallic structure with a flat, wide disk of glowing white mana in the center. From that disk emanated the last wisps of the collapsing time vortex, confirming that this structure was what had created the vortex to begin with.

Straightening his body out like an arrow, Azrael propelled himself with his blue mana, shooting downward toward the waiting structure. In his hands, the Sphere of Ages suddenly grew hot as its mana swelled within, the whole Sphere trembling in Azrael's hands. Gasping in pain against the heat, Azrael clung tighter to his creation, still bound toward the building. _Geyosha... my dearest sister... please forgive me. I was wrong, and now I'll do something right. I look forward to joining you in whatever afterlife awaits._

By now, the oily metallic drakes swooped toward the plunging human, extending their talons to snatch him from the sky. In response, Azrael expanded his aura of blue and black mana, creating a slick arcane cocoon that resisted the hungry drakes' scrabbling claws. The building's white disk glowed bright, nearly blinding Azrael with its intense power and luminosity. Azrael squeezed his eyes shut, oblivious to the bright light, hungry drakes, and the heat of the Sphere. Then, he felt the Sphere swell like a pod, and all of its inner mana burst outward in a single wave.

From a nearby location, the praetor Jin-Gitaxias looked up from his silver throne, feeling a strange sensation near the Knowledge Pool, the source of his time-traveling magic. Nihil had gone through the time vortex to find that Sphere of Ages, but why hadn't he returned? And who was that red-headed human plunging through the sky toward the Knowledge Pool? A Vulshok suicide bomber? No, this being had blue and black mana, and the shock wave of magic spreading rapidly from the Knowledge Pool didn't feel like anything the Mirran rebels had created. Just what was that man planning?

Jin-Gitaxias got his answer when he recoiled and felt his flexible body being vaporized into vapor along with the rest of his realm by the shock wave that was now spreading across all of New Phyrexia, conquering the conquerors with one blow. From far above, a single ghostly woman hovered, her incorporeal form immune to the cataclysm that obliterated New Phyrexia. A small smile curved her lips and she said quietly, "Thank you, brother."

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Teleport, Numbing Dose, Apostle's Blessing, Naturalize, Hindering Light, Crystallization, Tendrils of Corruption, Regenerate, Island (Jung Park), Knowledge Pool, Viral Drake, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur**

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N:** Just the epilogue left to go!


	41. Epilogue

**TWO OF A KIND**

by Ulquiorra9000

**Epilogue**

Zoira was still shivering a little in her rain-drenched adventurer outfit as she stepped out of her flaming red Planeswalking gate onto solid earth. Around her towered enormous trees laden with thick ropy vines, bird and beast nests, and countless buzzing insects. Zoira sighed with content as she breathed in the thick, humid Murasa air, wondering how long it would take her to hike back to Brighthome, the forest-city where she had once taken Morrel and Mizuki in order to meet a gang of Kor kitesailers. _I'll just take my time, _Zoira decided as she trotted through the forest floor, fiddling with one of her braided ponytails. _My people always said that a walk through nature is where one can find oneself._

She still remembered, quite vividly, the smooth chrome and copper casket being lowered respectfully into the dark but gentle Esper sea by a crew of tall, Etherium-enhanced Vedalken sages. Only an hour ago, Zoira had stood with the rest of the crowd as one of Sharuum the Hegemon's favorite artificers had been put to rest on his beloved home Plane during a light rain, with the Vedalken and human artificers chanting tales of Veldor's great deeds –

_Come on, don't get wrapped up in their silly business, _Zoira shook her head, a slightly humorous smile crossing her lips despite the weight in her heart. _Veldor died a hero and was given a nice farewell by his people. That's good enough for anybody._

Up a steep hill Zoira hiked, her mind clearing more and more as she felt a pleasant burn of exertion in her legs and her blood started moving again. She breathed the clean, fresh Murasa air a little harder as she went, her hand drifting toward her hunting knife on her belt. Maybe she could cut loose a few fruits and munch on them while sitting on a log and musing over what to do next in her life. _So many options!_

She froze, however, at the sight that greeted her at the hilltop.

For miles around, the forest lay in a charred ruin, with only a panorama of tree stumps and churned, ashy earth to prove that there had ever been a forest here. Thick columns of smoke coiled up toward the sky, and fires still raged on the edges of the remaining forest. Flocks of birds scattered as a gigantic faceless monster slithered across the ruins, its thick, humanoid arms reaching for the remaining trees to mindlessly tear them down.

Zoira felt familiarity settle in her stomach as she slowly drew her hunting knife. _It's the Eldrazi again. They still haunt Zendikar, and I won't allow it to happen. _As the giant Eldrazi crawled around on its mass of tentacles, Zoira remembered seeing odd visitors recently, at least two or three Planeswalkers who were dabbling with something Zoira had heard about in legends: the Eye of Ugin. _If that Eye can help contain the Eldrazi menace, I'll do anything to help those other Planeswalkers out. I wonder where I can find them? _Zoira wondered, sheathing her knife and trekking through a new route in the forest. _It seems that there are still some folks out there who need a good elf guide!_

*o*o*o*o*

At once, Rohkan breathed a familiar scent: rusty, dry, hot air as he stepped out of the roiling green and red Planeswalking gate that had led him here from the Blind Eternities. The Vedalken walked with a purposeful stride as he trekked across the metallic landscape, admiring the towering, uneven iron mountains and rivers of molten metal all around him. _This land is the seething heart of Mirrodin. The mightiest metal is forged at this very place, and the __Tangle is not far to the west. Another place where life here is found at its best._

A pair of brawny humans, a man and a woman clad in purple loincloths and parted combat jackets, approached from over a hill, their long swords held tightly in hand. The man stopped at the sight of Rohkan. "What business have you here, Vedalken? You're a long way from Lumengrid." His short black hair and great height were imposing.

The other Vulshok, a woman with a long dark ponytail, tilted her head curiously. "Are you an envoy of your people?"

"No, I come of my own accord." Rohkan took a few steps closer, raising his four hands and facing his palms to the Vulshok in a gesture of harmlessness. "I was exiled from my people for refusing the burdensome dogma of my kinsmen. I have wandered long and gained many skills, most of all with the blade. I have heard many tales of the Blade Tribe, and well... I may finally have found my home."

The man chuckled once, sheathing his long iron sword. "You're an odd one, Vedalken. But I can see even from here that you're a warrior at heart, and who knew? Vedalken can make great swordsmen! Four arms and all!"

"More to the point," the woman added, folding her arms, "It's up to our chief to decide what to do with you. What's your name, Vedalken?"

"I am Rohkan," spoke the Planeswalker. "I would be honored to meet your chief and have my worthiness proved. I have wandered far enough."

"Well... this wasn't what I set out to take care of today," the man mused, rubbing his chin, "but this could be interesting. Let's see if we can take you under our wing, Rohkan. Let's go."

Holding his head high, Rohkan kept pace with the man and woman as they led him up a mountain slope toward the waiting village. "My name's Ishak, by the way," the man added.

"Lenoa," the woman put in.

"A pleasure," Rohkan nodded. _The Phyrexians are coming. Exactly when, I do not know. But starting with the Vulshok, and then with the Sylvok, Auriok and the others, I will spread the word that danger is coming, and when the Phyrexian monsters come, they will find a Mirrodin united against them!_

*o*o*o*o*

"I can say without a doubt that you have earned this," commented Raphael warmly as the elder battlemage brother flipped over the gold Sigil in his hands as Morrel stood proudly before him. Both brothers stood within the entrance hall of the Akrasan Castle, where countless pages, guards, scholars, and servants went about on their business. Raphael handed back Morrel's newest Sigil, a grin crossing his face. "Welcome back, brother."

"Actually, I've been back nearly two weeks, you know," Morrel noticed, securing the Sigil back onto his leather vest. "You've been away on the front lines for that whole time and just now got back."

"Well, there was a major push from the Grixis forces toward the Topa Castle," Raphael winced, running a hand through his long black ponytail out of habit. "The castle fell anyway, but my men and I made sure that the king and his scholars and personal guards got out of there. It helped that a stray dragon from Jund decided to snack on the battle's casualties, too, providing a distraction. This freakish war brings something new every day."

Morrel grinned back and tapped the two new Sigils pinned to Raphael's clothing. "At least you got something to show for it. Is that eight you've got now?"

"Well... yes," Raphael agreed, trying to sound modest. "But this isn't about me. You've completed the Journey of Souls in a way that few ever have: traveling the Planes and curing a girl's monstrous curse by helping take down a tainted man from the future."

"I see you've read my official report," Morrel said, slumping his shoulders. "By my honor I had to tell the complete truth, but everyone here laughed at my 'fabrications and embellishments'."

Raphael clapped a hand to Morrel's shoulder. "Relax, brother. The others' teasing does not matter. Helping this Azrael man find peace with himself was a noble deed, and I have to admit, even _I _never did anything that grand!"

"You're so modest," Morrel joked, and both brothers shared a laugh.

"Have the rest of the day off to yourself, why don't you?" Raphael suggested. "Not a lot is going on right now. Maybe we can find something to do later today for old time's sake. Maybe we can watch that newest batch of rogues get trained. Akrasa could always use new agents on the front lines."

Morrel nodded. "Yeah." _Rogues. The infiltrators, spies, and sometimes assassins of the Akrasa military caste. Mizuki would love that kind of work. _Trying to ignore a sudden pang of missing his Kamigawa friend, Morrel turned and strode out the castle's wide front doors, greeted by the sight of Akrasa's endless green rolling plains and neatly-tended groves. He wandered aimlessly about under Akrasa's warm sun until he found himself before a familiar white stone hut: the home of Yerkel, his Rhox monk friend.

"Morrel! My good friend," the Rhox monk rumbled happily as the battlemage entered, turning around from poring over a scroll. The rhino-man stood and embraced Morrel in a tight hug, months of practice preventing him from crushing his human friend.

"Just trying to kill an afternoon," Morrel said lightly, settling at the table and dragging over a plate of fruit. "Raphael recommended I relax today." He peeled the skin off an orange and broke off a chunk, chewing the juicy, sweet fruit. "What have you been up to?"

Yerkel's ears twitched as he sat heavily at the opposite side of the table. "Can you believe it, Morrel? Geranth has finally granted me access to the oldest archives! He at last decided that I am worthy to study the archive's contents."

"Awesome." Morrel leaned forward a little. "Geranth finally relented, huh?" _The chief Rhox monk can have his generous moments._

"As it turns out, a little logic mixed with a bunch of nagging _does _get people somewhere," Yerkel winked, talking quickly. "But I get the feeling he was ready to promote me pretty soon anyway. Oh man, I could be up all night reading these new scrolls and still only scratch the surface! What a cliché, huh? I mean, wow, this is the high-end material that people my age rarely get to see, and, um, I'm talking too fast, aren't I?"

Morrel laughed easily. "Relax. You're excited about all this, and you have a right to be. I mean, I finally earned a new Sigil and the respect of the other battlemages."

"Mizuki was cured, too, by what I heard," Yerkel nodded. "What an amazing journey you must have had. All those tales you've told the others..."

The sun crept across Bant's sky as the two friends passed the time, at at length Morrel stood and pushed open the door, walking out into the late afternoon and bidding Yerkel farewell. Morrel sighed deeply to freshen his lungs as he went, wondering if he should have an early dinner. _Considering how much food Yerkel keeps around, I probably don't need it. _Instead of returning to the castle, Morrel wandered over to a somewhat short but leafy tree growing on top of a hill, flopping onto his back in the tree's shade. The cool grass felt good on his back, and Morrel simply stared up at the sky, wondering how many passing aven or angels he'd see.

"There you are!"

Morrel jolted at the familiar voice, sitting up with his heart hammering in his chest. From up the hill walked a familiar black-haired girl with a wide smile on her face. "I..." Morrel sputtered, gawking at the sight.

"Tongue-tied?" Mizuki teased Morrel, coming to a stop three feet in front of her friend, hands on her hips. "Or just incredibly happy to see me?"

"Is 'both' an option?" Morrel smiled back, climbing to his feet at once. "You seem... different." Indeed, Mizuki had abandoned her old clothes in favor of a long-sleeved white shirt and leather vest similar to Morrel's, plus Bant-style trousers rolled up to her knees. Her feet were bare as usual.

"It might be," Mizuki joked, then took hold of Morrel's cheeks and pressed her lips warmly against his, savoring the feeling. She broke off from her friend, adding, "Hell, if you're as glad to see me as I am to see you, then I can call it square."

"Yeah," Morrel nodded, feeling his face getting warm. "So, uh... what brings you here? I thought you were traveling the Multiverse to find a home of your own."

Mizuki took a step back, turning around briefly to get a good view of the landscape. She turned back. "Right, and I've found it."

Morrel tried not to chuckle. "You're joking."

"Not at all." Mizuki's smile returned, wider than ever.

"_Here_?"

"Here."

At that, Morrel breathed in deep, running a hand through his hair as he tried to get his thoughts in line. "But you hated Bant! Too orderly and noble and uptight for you."

Mizuki motioned for Morrel to sit, and she settled cross-legged on the grass next to him. "I visited at least thirty different Planes," she told Morrel firmly. "Ravnica was nice, but its feuding guilds and cramped cityscape felt stifling. Lorwyn was idyllic but didn't have native human beings... we stuck out like sore thumbs back there, remember? Dominaria is boring, I don't want to go back to Kamigawa, Esper drives me nuts, Grixis is horrifying, Innistrad is evil, and Zendikar doesn't even have a proper city! So, Bant it is."

"There _is _still the inter-Planar war here," Morrel pointed out. "That kind of hurts the real-estate prospects here. Topa, Eos, and Jhess have fallen to the other shards of ancient Alara already..."

"I know," Mizuki said earnestly, "but without at least a little chaos, things would be boring, now wouldn't they? Besides, Bant is much more open-minded and structured than those other worlds, making it easier to set up a life here. And most importantly for me..." she leaned against Morrel, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "I get to be with you. Now _there's _some real-estate value, as you put it."

Morrel wrapped one arm around Mizuki, running the other through her soft dark hair. "Well, if you put it that way... welcome to Bant!"

They were both silent for a time until Morrel mentioned, "You know, there's a new class of rogue agents being set up. Why don't you try that? I was just thinking how..."

"Already ahead of you," Mizuki commented. "I was among those accepted into the program. Joined up just three days ago."

Morrel blinked. "What? You've already been here three days? I never noticed you!"

Mizuki laughed easily and retorted, "I was too busy to say hi, and you had your duties to tend to anyway. After all, haven't you figured it out by now? If I don't want someone to notice my presence..."

"Then they won't notice it," Morrel finished for her. "Still, I'm excited to hear that you're joining up. We can fight side by side again! Damned Grixis and Jund monsters won't defeat themselves."

"And I don't have my curse anymore, but I can still do some good," Mizuki added, reaching out with her right arm. "I've lost all my black mana, letting my natural green mana flow. I"m a Jukai Forest native, after all. My mana isn't as strong as Rohkan's, but it helps me get the job done. I'm not too shabby with knives or other light weapons, either. I remember you having a fondness for throwing knives..."

"I must have lost nearly all of mine on our adventure," Morrel grimaced. "Had to buy a whole bunch of new ones."

"Oh, don't fret," Mizuki smirked. "I've got your back. You've got nothing to fear!"

"I just hope that you found the castle easily once you Planeswalked here," Morrel said, remembering how far he and Mizuki had had to walk through the Takenuma Swamp on their first leg of the Journey of Souls.

Mizuki lowered her arm. "Yeah, about that... losing the lizard Kami's curse purified my Spark. It's easy to 'walk now! I wanted to reach the Akrasa Castle when I Planeswalked back here, and I'll be darned, I found myself right on the front lawn. Instant victory!"

"That's great." Morrel was content to simply sit there for a while in silence, enjoying the warm feeling of Mizuki relaxing against his body. Just as an aven soldier flew overhead, Morrel stretched and started to get up, prompting Mizuki to get up with him. "Do Yerkel and my brother know that you're here?"

"I don't think so," Mizuki realized, stealing a glance at the castle.

Morrel grinned. "Then why don't we arrange for a few friendly meetings? I can show you around the castle and its grounds, the fun stuff that the trainers probably overlooked when you joined the rogue agent program."

"Any fun secrets to explore?" Mizuki smiled mischievously.

"More than a few," Morrel smiled as he took Mizuki's hand in his and led her across the grounds. "Why don't we start? Your new home awaits!"

"Yeah," Mizuki glowed. "Sounds like fun!"

*o*o*o*o*

**Cards in this chapter... Forest (Jung Park), Ulamog's Crusher, Mountain (Thomasz Jedruszek), Blade-Tribe Berserkers, Sigil of Distinction, Plains (Michael Komarck), Rhox War Monk**

**A/N: **I would like to thank **3r4g0n**, **CommonerShipping19**, **Deadzepplin**, **DoahShadow**, **Garjzla abr Eldrvarya Sundavar**, **karn reborn**, **Kyubbiman**, **MrR3DP4ND4**, **Neomistress**, **Nianque**, **pacificuser**, **Rygeor**, **Savaris**, **serpentrepent**, **Solomon the Slowking**, T**he-lazy-bum**, **Willie Jackson**, **a bit of gravity**, **Dr. Faust**, **ELshock**, **lerac**, **SenZ**, **Endlos Nacht**, **Anaithnid**, **Shieb**, **anon**, **Onionmaster**, and **Constance Vulrune** for the reviews, favorite story alerts, and other forms of support. This story turned out to be a big hit!

Will there be further stories to cover the adventures of Zoira, Rohkan, Morrel, and Mizuki? There might be, but I'll have to see. At the very least, I have an idea for a short spin-off with Morrel and Mizuki both working as Bant agents in the Conflux war. I might try that out during the summer.


End file.
